EIA Writing Style Guide April 2015

U.S. Energy Information Administration Office of Communications

This publication is available on the EIA employee intranet and at: www.eia.gov/eiawritingstyleguide.pdf

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Contents

Introduction to the EIA Writing Style Guide ...... 1 Chapter 1: Editorial Voice and Words and Phrases To Avoid ...... 9 Chapter 2: Policy-Neutral Writing ...... 19 Chapter 3: Advice for Good Writing ...... 21 Chapter 4: Grammar ...... 29 Chapter 5: Commonly Misused Words ...... 33 Chapter 6: Capitalization...... 47 Chapter 7: Numbers ...... 57 Chapter 8: Commas ...... 67 Chapter 9: Hyphens and Dashes ...... 73 Chapter 10: Colons and Semicolons ...... 83 Chapter 11: Periods ...... 87 Chapter 12: Symbols ...... 91 Chapter 13: Punctuating and Formatting Quoted Text...... 93 Chapter 14: Abbreviations and Units...... 97 Chapter 15: Itemized Lists and Bullets ...... 107 Chapter 16: Footnotes, Sources, and Notes ...... 113 Chapter 17: Hypertext Links ...... 121 Chapter 18: British versus American English...... 125 Index ...... 129

Introduction to the EIA Writing Style Guide

This style guide is an update of the edition released in November 2012.

1 Why a writing style guide? We wrote this Writing Style Guide to help EIA writers produce consistent, correct, and readable content. It provides guidance on those style issues—including capitalization, punctuation, word usage, tone—most relevant to EIA writing. This edition includes new content: • An index to help you find major topics • Information on using and sourcing nonoriginal work and third-party data • Direction to use CO2, b (rather than bbl for barrel), and the % sign in all EIA Did you know? content This version of the EIA • An update on classic writing guidance Writing Style Guide • An alphabetized list of hyphenated and nonhyphenated words reflects the latest • Advice on copyediting and using spellcheck to find mistakes thinking of writers • Guidance on using endnotes as a sourcing option and editors at EIA. • Description of different uses of the letter M in energy units The fundamental principles are the • Format for writing mathematical equations same, but a few • Information about writing in plain language rules have changed. This new edition also includes more examples, explanations, advice, and notes.

We included this additional material to answer the hundreds of questions asked by EIA staff, to address writing mistakes caught while editing EIA content, and to cover a few new writing style preferences.

The 2015 EIA Writing Style Guide is provided in html on the EIA employee intranet (InsideEIA) and at www.eia.gov/eiawritingstyleguide.pdf, which allows you to search or link to related sections of the document.

Two rules were changed since the 2012 Writing Style Guide was published and have already been incorporated into EIA writing:

• Use the % sign in all EIA writing • Write online as one word in all uses (on the computer, when a pipeline or electricity generator opens or is operating) Because the content was written to help you and has been improved by your questions and comments, the Office of Communications welcomes feedback, suggestions, corrections, and general comments.

The Writing Style Guide is designed to save you time. Have you ever wondered or worried about which was correct: • Periods or no punctuation for bullets? • Which or that? • % sign or percent? You can quickly find answers to these questions—and most of your style-related questions—in this Writing Style Guide.

2 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide Do these guidelines apply to print and web content? This Writing Style Guide will help you produce uniform documents, regardless of office, function, or publication form. The purpose of the Writing Style Guide is to provide style consistency in all EIA content. It addresses some issues that are particular to web writing, such as writing effective hypertext links. But most of the advice applies to all the writing you do including reports, website content, and PowerPoint presentations.

Are these hard-and-fast rules? This is a Writing Style Guide—not a rule book. Unlike grammar, which has specific rules that should not be broken, many style issues are preferences, such as how and when to write out numbers, whether to use the serial comma, or when to use ending punctuation for bullets. Writers and editors may differ. Famous style guides differ. Areas of the world differ. Our goal is to provide guidance on style issues, so EIA content has uniformity that conveys professionalism. Examples labeled preferred mean preferred by EIA.

Style consistency enhances our credibility. Inconsistencies in style or misused words cause users of our information to question the accuracy of our data. A uniform style tells users that EIA has high quality standards for our words as well as for our numbers.

Where can I get more guidance on editorial style? We’ve addressed the most common style issues that EIA writers face. If you have a question that isn’t covered in this guide, or if there is a topic you’d like to know more about, consult these online references: • The Chicago Manual of Style, the most widely used style manual. EIA has a subscription to The Chicago Manual of Style • U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) Style Manual, an authoritative source of information about issues that are specific to writing for the federal government • Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, EIA’s preferred dictionary Other sources consulted in the preparation of EIA’s Writing Style Guide: • Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing, Mignon Fogarty, 2008 • Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage, 1994 • The Elements of Style, William Strunk and E. B. White, 1999 • OECD Style Guide, Second edition, 2007 • The Subversive Copy Editor: Advice from Chicago, Carol Fisher Saller, 2009 • EERE Communication Standards and Guidelines: Style Guide, from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy • Woe Is I, Patricia T. O’Connor, 2003 Please contact Colleen Blessing or Dale Sweetnam in the Office of Communications with any questions, comments, or suggestions about writing or about the Writing Style Guide.

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 3 Writing well at EIA Use short sentences Short sentences are easier to read, so aim for a maximum of 20 to 30 words. Consider breaking a long sentence into two shorter sentences or eliminating unnecessary words.

Use short paragraphs Did you know? Avoid long paragraphs or large blocks of text. Long paragraphs are daunting and difficult for readers to scan. Try to write paragraphs of four or five sentences, or Plain language is approximately 100–125 words. Paragraphs as short as one sentence are fine. Use the law, not just bullets to list points. something nice to do every so often or Avoid jargon s o m e t h i n g E I A i n v e n t e d . Jargon may be appropriate when writing exclusively for experts. But EIA’s web content The Plain Writing Act is accessible to a wide range of readers, from experts on your topic to novices. signed by President As much as possible, choose nontechnical terms so all your intended readers can Obama in October understand what you’ve written. If you must use jargon or technical language, be 2010 is a federal law sure to explain the term in simple language. You might also link to an EIA glossary that requires federal definition or to other source material. To make the concept clear to the layperson, executive agencies to you can provide an example or an analogy. use plain writing and to train employees in plain Be consistent writing. The law says Good writing is built on patterns, so be consistent within your content. federal agencies should write all publications, • Consistent terminology: Don’t call it gasoline in some instances and motor gasoline in others. forms, and publicly • Consistent abbreviations: If you use Bcf/d for billion cubic feet per day, don’t use distributed documents any other abbreviation for that reference. in a “clear, concise, • Consistent punctuation: For example, always use the serial comma. (The flag is well-organized” red, white , and blue.) manner. Consider your audience See the PlainLanguage.gov The best writers anticipate, and answer, their readers’ questions. Identify your website for background, intended readers before you begin writing. Think about what they may already know examples, and help. and what they will want to know about your topic. While planning and drafting your content, consider their level of technical expertise, their depth of interest, and the tasks they will be performing with the information you provide.

The 2014 EIA website customer survey showed that 16% of our customers are first- time visitors, 26% do not live in the United States, and only about 20% identify themselves as being in the energy industry.

4 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide Very few customers are just browsing. Most customers have a specific goal or task to accomplish including the following (in order of the responses from the 2014 customer survey): • Researching a topic • Accessing specific EIA data • Educating themselves about energy • Writing a report • Making an energy forecast • Making a business decision Remembering that 80% of our web customers are not in the energy industry reinforces the need for plain language, clear writing, and minimal jargon and acronyms.

Does the Writing Style Guide answer every writing question? Writing style choices change, new situations arise, and different content requires new decisions. This guide attempts to cover most problems, situations, rules, and styles faced by EIA writers. Because of the dynamic and complex nature of EIA’s content and reports, there will always be room for additions and changes. For example, after the 2012 edition of the Style Guide was published, EIA decided to switch to using % rather than the word percent in all content. We also decided that online should be one word. Covering every possible writing question and establishing rules for every hyphen and comma is a daunting task.

5 Quick Tips—Style, Writing, and Grammar EIA style • Use b to abbreviate barrels; barrels per day is b/d. • Use the serial comma: red, white , and blue. • Website, homepage, and email: one word, no hyphens. • Spell out United States as a noun: U.S. oil is produced in the United States. • Do not capitalize state, federal, or nation unless it’s a proper name (Federal Register). • U.S. Energy Information Administration and EIA; not U.S. EIA and not the EIA. • Write Washington, DC, not Washington, D.C. • Don’t use postal codes except in addresses and bibliographies: Cushing, Oklahoma, not Cushing, OK (except for Washington, DC, where the postal code is part of the city name). • Writing time: Correct—3:00 p.m.; Incorrect—3:00 pm; 3:00pm; 3:00 PM. • Writing dates: Correct—January 2012; Jan 5. Incorrect—Jan 2012; January, 2012; January ’12; January 5th; January of 2012; the month of January. • Write 1990s, not 1990’s. • Don’t CAPITALIZE or underline for emphasis. Use bold or italics. • American vs. British English: gray (A) vs. grey (B); traveled (A) vs. travelled (B); forward (A) vs. forwards (B). EIA style uses American spelling and usage. • Punctuating bullets: No ending punctuation (no commas or semicolons) unless they are all complete sentences (then end each sentence with a period). • Don’t link click here or here. Link to the subject: See the full report; Register now. • Write the past 10 years, not the last 10 years.

Writing • Always use %, not percent. • Title case capitalization: Natural Gas Consumption Increasing (for titles and first- level headers). Sentence case: Natural gas consumption increasing (for second- level headers and graph and table titles). Be consistent for headers and titles within a document. • Spell out (or define or link to a full spelling) acronyms the first time used and repeatedly in separate sections and chapters of a long document. • Avoid overuse of due to—try because, as a result of, or following. • Use since with time (Since 2014, natural gas use has grown.) and because when you want to show cause (Because it was raining, we got wet.). • Be policy neutral. Avoid words like plummeted, skyrocketed, slashed, spiked, huge. • Use simple words: additionally → also; utilize → use; in order to → to; numerous → many. • Don’t use impact as a verb: The weather affected (not impacted) electricity demand. • Don’t begin a sentence with a numeral or a year. Incorrect: 2016 stocks are increasing. Correct: Stocks in 2016 are increasing. Also correct: The year 2016 shows increasing stocks.

6 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide Grammar • Which or that? Which nearly always has a comma before it. If you can use that, use that. These two words are not interchangeable. Which is not a more formal word for that. • Make bullets consistent: start with verb, verb, verb; noun, noun, noun; adjective, adjective, adjective. • A person is a who, and a thing (including a company) is a that. Correct: He is the person who said yes. Incorrect: He is the person that said yes. • The whole comprises the parts, and the parts compose the whole. Is comprised of is not correct. • Use an en dash to mean through or to: the temperature was 70–80 degrees. Use the word minus in an arithmetic phrase. Correct: Net imports = imports minus exports. Incorrect: Net imports = imports-exports. • An em dash is the length of two hyphens. It’s used to show emphasis or a break in thought and is almost always used in pairs. Correct: My sister Amy—who is two years younger than I am—graduated from college before I did. • Hyphens with adjectives: short-term forecast, end-use technology. No hyphens with nouns: in the short term, three end uses. • i.e. and e.g. must be followed by a comma. It is better to write out i.e.→ in other words and e.g. → for example. • “Punctuation goes inside the quote marks.”

Editorial Voice and Words and Phrases To Avoid

Your writing speaks to your readers; it has a voice. At EIA, we want our writing voice to be professional, clear, and concise. This chapter covers some of the ways to create EIA’s voice.

9 1. Using an inverted pyramid format to structure your writing Put your main message first, so your readers can quickly get the most important information and then decide if they want to read more. Organize your content, so the information appears in order of importance, from the highest level to supporting details.

2. Choosing active or passive voice • Use active voice most of the time. • In active-voice sentences, the subject is doing the action of the verb. • In passive-voice sentences, the target of the action is moved to the subject position. Passive-voice sentences often leave out the person or group responsible for the action. Active voice:The agency proposed new regulations. Active voice:EIA projects that oil production will increase.

Passive voice: New regulations were proposed. Passive voice: It is projected that oil production will increase. • Active voice allows readers to scan and comprehend information quickly. • Use active voice to write concisely, as active-voice sentences are normally shorter than passive-voice sentences. Active voice: The Clean Air Amendments of 1990 set the course for reducing pollution. (12 words)

Passive voice: The course for reducing pollution was set by the Clear Air Amendments of 1990. (14 words) • Use passive voice sparingly. Passive voice can be used occasionally for these purposes:

–T– o emphasize the object of the action, not the doer. Stringent emissions guidelines were issued by the California Air Resources Board in 1990.

–– When the subject of the sentence (the doer) is unimportant or unknown. In passive-voice sentences the doer may be left out. Stringent emissions guidelines were issued in 1990.

–T– o structure a headline, blurb, or lead sentence, place key words at the beginning. New Conservation Guidelines Are Adopted by Legislature –– The writer of the above headline chose to use passive voice to feature the words New Conservation Guidelines. If the writer had chosen active voice, Legislature Adopts New Conservation Guidelines, the emphasis would be on Legislature, not on the New Conservation Guidelines.

10 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 3. Words and phrases to avoid Use simple and specific words—not bureaucratic or clichéd expressions.

Bureaucratic or clichéd Simple and specific accordingly so afford an opportunity allow, let aforementioned as mentioned earlier a great number of many all-time record high record, record level a number of many, several, a few additionally also, in addition approximately about as to whether whether at the lowest levels lowest at the present time, at this point in time now at the time that when burgeoning growing, increasing by means of with, in, by capability ability, can close proximity nearby, near come to an agreement on agree commence start, begin completely destroyed destroyed consequently so currently now demonstrate a preference for prefer due to the fact that because during the course of during endeavor to try to equally as equally equivalent equal facilitate help finalize finish for the most part mostly for the purpose of for, to furthermore also, in addition give approval for approve identical same impacted by affected by in accordance with by, following, under incentivizing promoting, encouraging

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 11 Bureaucratic or clichéd Simple and specific including, but not limited to including indices indexes initial first in order to to in order to eliminate to eliminate in spite of the fact that although, despite in the event that if in the month of January in January in the near future soon in the spring of 2013 spring 2013 in the vicinity of near in violation of violates is able to can it is felt that (omit) kind of rather leverage make use of, take advantage of like such as limited number few, some magnitude size majority of most make a choice choose make a decision decide multiple many myriad many new record record no later than by, for not strong weak not well suited unfit, poorly suited numerous many of the opinion that think on a monthly basis monthly on or before December 2 by December 2 on the basis of based on on the part of by optimum best originally began began preeminent primary, major presents a summary of summarizes prior to before prior estimate previous estimate record high level record level, highest level

12 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide Bureaucratic or clichéd Simple and specific regarding about, of, on relative to compared to, compared with retain keep since the time when since subsequent next subsequent to after sufficient enough sunset end terminate end, stop the question as to whether whether therefore so the reason why is that because the table is a list of the table shows time frame time or period time period time or period to perform an analysis to analyze underutilized underused until such time as until usage of use of used for fuel purposes used for fuel utilize use whether or not whether with regard to about with the exception of except would appear that appears

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 13 4. Using parallel structure • Use the same grammatical structure to present two or more ideas of equal value in a sentence. • Present the same type of information in a similar format to make the information easier to read. • Use parallel structure for items in a numbered or bulleted list and in a list of items in a sentence. Every item or bullet must start with the same kind of word (noun, verb, adjective, etc.), and all must be either phrases or complete sentences, whenever possible. Parallel structure: The project director is a strong leader, a skillful politician, and an effective manager. Not parallel structure: The project director is a strong leader, a skillful politician, and he manages effectively.

• Good examples of parallel structure

• Educating the public • Conducted a survey • Informing the media • Computed the results • Updating decision makers • Prepared a report

For more information on using parallel structure in bulleted lists, see page 109.

5. Maintaining consistent verb tenses • Maintain consistent verb tenses to clearly establish the timing of the action. Consistent verb tense: Natural gas is created by the underground decomposition of organic matter. Much of the carbon and hydrogen is converted to methane, the major component of natural gas. Using the present tense consistently conveys that the action (both the decomposition of organic matter and the conversion to methane) is happening at the same time and is an ongoing process.

Inconsistent verb tense: Natural gas was created by the underground decomposition of organic matter. Much of the carbon and hydrogen is converted to methane, the major component of natural gas. The shift in verb tense from past (was created) to present (is converted) is confusing to the reader. It implies that the decomposition of organic matter happened in the past, but that the conversion to methane is occurring only now (present tense). • Do not change verb tenses unless you want to indicate a clear shift in time. Appropriate shift in verb tense:The regulations were adopted in 2000. The regulations will be reviewed in 2015. The first sentence uses the past tense (were adopted) to indicate action that happened in the past. The second sentence uses the future tense (will be reviewed) to indicate future action.

14 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 6. Tailoring the formality of your writing to the audience How formal should your writing be? At EIA, we tend to favor formal language over informal language. But the formality of your writing depends on both content and audience. Authors, supervisors, and the Office of Communications decide the level of formality for each report or product.

For example, if you are writing a report for Congress, your language should be formal. But if you are writing a Today in Energy story or content for Energy Explained, your language can be more informal.

What makes writing formal or informal? • Avoiding colloquial words or expressions makes your writing more formal. Formal language: However, the formality of your writing depends on the audience. Informal language: But the formality of your writing depends on the audience.

Formal language: Why are gasoline prices so high? Informal language: What’s behind high gas prices?

Formal language: Is there enough oil to meet future needs? Informal language: Are we running out of oil?

• Using the pronoun we instead of the noun EIA is more informal. Using a noun rather than a pronoun makes your writing more formal. Formal language: EIA projects oil production will increase. Informal language: We project oil production will increase.

• Spelling out whole words rather than using contractions makes your writing more formal. Formal language: EIA will not comment on the legislation. Informal language: EIA won’t comment on the legislation.

7. Using a consistent point of view In your writing, you can choose to use one of three different points of view: first person, second person, or third person. Each point of view expresses a different relationship to the reader. Generally, third person is most appropriate for EIA writing.

Three points of view for writing First person is when the person or object is speaking: We can produce steam several ways. Second person is when the person is spoken to: You can produce steam several ways. Third person is when the object is spoken about: It can produce steam several ways.

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 15 • Do not shift point of view within an article or report. The point of view you choose will depend on your audience and the product you are writing.

Shifting point of view: Most commercially available electricity is generated by turbines that convert steam into electricity. You can produce steam in several ways. This paragraph shifts from third person to second person (you).

Consistent point of view: Most electricity is generated by turbines that convert steam into electricity. Steam can be produced in several ways. This paragraph maintains the third person throughout.

8. Emphasizing content • EIA prefers bold text for emphasis. Italics can be used to emphasize a word or phrase, rarely a whole sentence or paragraph. If used too frequently, italics or bold for emphasis lose their power. • Never underline for emphasis. • Underlining isn’t necessary for links. Most links in EIA writing are now shown in blue type with no underline. The Annual Energy Outlook has forecasts through 2040. • Never use capital letters for emphasis. Correct emphasis: Your comments must be sent by mail—not email.

Incorrect emphasis: Your comment must be sent by MAIL—NOT EMAIL. Incorrect emphasis: Your comments must be sent by mail—not email.

• Use bold sparingly to emphasize subheads or bullet introductions in text. Do not bold words within a sentence as a substitute for subheads. Correct: Spring. Prices increased from winter lows. Summer. Prices remained constant. Fall. Prices decreased after summer heat. Incorrect: Prices went up in the summer. Then in the winter prices went down.

Never use all capital letters 9. Using italics o r u n d e r l i n i n g • Use italics for report and product names in report content and footnotes. for emphasis. EIA projects that renewable-generated electricity will account for 12.6% of Use italics or bold total electricity generation in 2020.1 for emphasis. For EIA documents: 1 U.S. Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Outlook 2014, Table 8.

Citing EIA in non-EIA documents:1 U.S. Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Outlook 2014, Table 8, accessed March 11, 2015.

16 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide • Do not use italics for the report acronym. Correct: The projections are in the Annual Energy Outlook 2015 (AEO2015). Incorrect: Annual Energy Outlook 2014 (AEO2015)

• Use italics rather than quotation marks to call attention to specific words or phrases. Correct: Use the phrase use of foreign oil rather than oil dependence. Incorrect: Use the phrase “use of foreign oil” rather than “oil dependence.”

• Use italics to set off a non-English word or phrase that might be unfamiliar to the reader. If the foreign phrase is used frequently in the document, use italics only for the first use. If the phrase is used infrequently in the document, use italics for each use. A laissez-faire approach to the market can have serious repercussions.

• Do not use italics if the foreign phrase is commonly used in English. (If the word Did you know? is listed in Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, you do not normally use Roman type italics.) means not in italics. The The used car had no warranty. Caveat emptor. word roman is not capitalized. Don’t • Do not use italics for these items: confuse roman type –– et al. (and all other items) –– ibid (in the same place) with Roman numerals. –– etc. (and other items) –– i.e., ( in other words) –– e.g., (for example)

Correct: Greenhouse gases (e.g., carbon dioxide) may contribute to global warming.

• Key terms may be italicized on their first use. Do not use italics for subsequent uses. Correct: Some cities are participating in the Clean Cities program. Other cities may participate in the Clean Cities program in the future.

10. Formatting paragraphs Separate paragraphs with a blank line. The first line of a paragraph should be flush left, not indented.

Correct: In 2004 and 2005, increased global demand for oil stretched capacity along the entire oil market system and caused a surge in crude oil prices. Incorrect: In 2004 and 2005, increased global demand for oil stretched capacity along the entire oil market system and caused a surge in crude oil prices.

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 17

Policy-Neutral Writing

The glass is never half empty or half full. It’s just an eight-ounce glass with four ounces of liquid.

Bureau of Labor Statistics spokesperson

19 EIA’s responsibility is to provide independent, policy-neutral information. We don’t advocate or support policies, industries, fuels, or trends.

Sometimes our writing may seem repetitive, always saying increased or decreased, rose or fell. Using different words to vary the text may seem like a good idea, but often the new verbs or adverbs have subtle or not so subtle connotations, either positive or negative.

Did you know? 1. Use policy-neutral words The U.S. Bureau of Labor Neutral: Prices fell Not neutral: Prices plummeted Statistics doesn’t actually have an official list of Neutral: Production decreased, production dropped approved verbs, but it Not neutral: Production was slashed often seems like they do. There are verbs they are Neutral: Hydraulic fracturing requires large amounts of water trained to use (rose/fell, Not neutral: Hydraulic fracturing requires huge amounts of water increased/decreased), Neutral: Natural gas production reversed its downward trend and verbs and words Not neutral: Natural gas production finally reversed its downward trend they are trained never to use (skyrocketed, 2. Phrases to avoid phenomenal, dramatic). Quantify statements where possible, but avoid these words and phrases. A 50% increase may seem to be surging or skyrocketing, but let the reader make the They don’t use many quantifying judgment. adjectives or adverbs either, but when they do, • Appropriate action • Jumped • Skyrocketed the words are objective. • Burgeoning • Huge • Slashed • Effective policy • Massive • Soared EIA isn’t that strict, but • Enormous • Obvious solution • Spiked writers should not use • Gale • Rebound • Surging verbs or adverbs that have • Tiny connotations, feelings, or tones for official and 3. Policy-neutral situations to watch for public-facing content. • Rising or falling prices—To a consumer, rising prices are usually negative, and falling Rising gasoline prices prices are usually positive. An energy producer may have the opposite perspective. aren’t positive or negative, EIA reports the trends with neutral words to avoid seeming like we are on one side they are just prices that or the other. are increasing. • Instead of saying oil dependence, say use of foreign oil—The term oil dependence inevitably leads to discussions about energy independence, which in a global economy will never happen. Instead of dependence, use terms such as use of foreign oil or imported oil as a share of U.S. oil consumption. • Environmental impacts of energy production and consumption—EIA can discuss that there are impacts and list what they are, but we should not use judgmental or advocacy words. • Policies that support or do not support a specific fuel technology—Avoid appearing like a cheering section for a specific tool or technology. Just state the facts.

20 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide Advice for Good Writing

Clarity does not come from simple ideas, but from presenting ideas in the simplest form possible.

OECD Style Guide, Second Edition, 2007

21 EIA style includes advice from several different style guides that disagree on some points. The style used by the U.S. Government Printing Office is sometimes too formal. AP Style (Associated Press) is sometimes too informal. The Chicago Manual of Style is close to EIA style, but not in all cases.

Remember, style is a preference; it is not right or wrong (unlike grammar, which does have rules). The EIA Writing Style Guide reflects what works best for EIA.

1. Updates on classic writing guidance The way many people were taught to write in school is not necessarily the best way to convey key points in EIA writing, especially for Today in Energy stories and short reports. Writing advice to avoid: • The old advice “Tell ‘em what you’re going to tell ‘em, tell ‘em, then tell ‘em what you told ’em” leads to excessive repetition. • The five-paragraph format—introduction, three supporting paragraphs, and conclusion—also leads to wordiness and repetition. • The thesis format of background, literature review, assumptions, research, discussion, analysis, finally ending with the conclusion or findings completely buries the main points. Writing advice to follow: • Start with your main point. Avoid what some people call the voyage of discovery. • Give details and numbers as needed. • Use short sentences and short paragraphs. • Don’t state the calculation in a confusing number of different ways: for example, consumption was up by 2 million barrels per day, or 6% from last year and 21% over the five-year average, rising to 8 million barrels per day, which is 12% higher than the peak in 1998, when it was 7.7 million barrels per day. Start with your main • Include supporting information and details in later paragraphs. points. Ending with the • Don’t write a conclusion that repeats points already stated. If your writing is findings or trends in a clear, you won’t need a conclusion. conclusion buries the Word choice advice to avoid: main points. • Always vary your word choice—don’t repeat the same term. Using different words can confuse the reader. Word choice advice to follow: • Don’t feel compelled to vary your word usage (something English teachers encouraged), especially for words with specific meanings. If you say consumption first, stick with consumption. Avoid saying consumption was up during 2015, but demand declined in 2016, when usage increased with higher economic growth. If you say oil first, don’t switch back and forth with petroleum and liquids. Even though you know certain terms are interchangeable, if you use different words, readers might think you’ve changed concepts. Adding modifiers can also be confusing because readers don’t know the terms mean the same thing. Don’t switch from electricity consumption to utility-scale consumption, for example.

22 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 2. Important guidance on sourcing nonoriginal work All nonoriginal work must be sourced and attributed. Sourcing can be shown as footnotes, endnotes, notes, or inline text references. The source must follow EIA format. See chapter 16 for footnote format and more guidance. In general, the source should include the author’s name(s), the publication name, the publication date, and page number. • You must provide footnotes listing sources for all nonoriginal work. • You cannot reuse information you found on the Internet, in EIA reports, or from any other source without attribution. • If you are uncertain about EIA’s sourcing policy or are not sure if you need to include footnotes or endnotes in your work, talk to your supervisor. • Be aware of any reuse restrictions on third-party data. Send questions to [email protected]. • Reuse of graphs, images, or photos is allowed only with documented permission from the content owner. For example, a note under a non-EIA photo could Read your work out say “Reprinted with permission from XYZ Company.” Call or email the author, loud when proofreading. company, or source for permission. • See Using Third-Party Data and page 114 for more information on EIA’s third- Use spell check to find party data policy. common mistakes in spelling and usage. 3. Tips for proofreading your writing • Read your work slowly out loud—This method forces you to read every word individually and increases the odds you will find a typo, missing word, or writing mistake. This proofreading method almost guarantees you will find common errors like missing words, repeated words, and subject-verb disagreement. Remember: read out loud, not just out loud in your head. • Use spell check—Microsoft Word and Microsoft Outlook include spell check, which catches much more than misspelled words. Review each squiggly underlined spot to determine what the mistake might be. (See tips in section 4 below.) • Force yourself to read each word—Consider each word. Read small sections. • Proof a printed version—Many people find it easier to proofread on paper rather than on a computer screen. • Ask a colleague to help—Four eyes are better than two.

4. Spell check in Microsoft Word is a great copyeditor Spell check looks at more than spelling. Spell check gives you three colors of squiggly underlines in your content: Spell check squiggly line color codes Red = spelling error Green = possible grammatical error Blue = possible contextual error such as homonyms or similar words

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 23 These squiggles indicate possible mistakes. Don’t ignore them.

But remember: spell check doesn’t catch every mistake, and some possible errors flagged by spell check may actually be correct. You still need to proof your writing carefully. Sometimes the autocorrect feature in Microsoft Word can introduce errors such as capitalizing words you meant to be lower case. Again, your eyes are critical in Did you know? reviewing your work. The period-space- space reflex is a relic of the era of manual 5. Follow basic style rules typewriters, when all • Use short sentences. letters (fat m, thin i) • Use short paragraphs. They are easier to read, especially online. Even if a long took up equal amounts paragraph is all one thought or topic, consider breaking it into two smaller sections, or use bullets if there are related points in the paragraph. of horizontal space. • Begin with the fact or main point. Don’t start with attribution or history or The extra space after a assumptions. sentence helped with • Avoid using too many introductory clauses. clarity. Now that letters Preferred: Oil production rose during the last half of 2015. take up proportional Less preferred: During the last half of 2015, oil production rose. space, typing two spaces • Use bold text or italics rather than underline for emphasis. between sentences is no • Use % in all EIA writing. longer necessary. • Avoid using a string of adjectives to modify a noun. Adding too many qualifying words before the noun requires the reader to deconstruct the meaning. Stacked noun—difficult to read 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Annual natural gas-fired electric power generation totals

Unstacked noun—easier to read Annual totals for electric power generated from natural gas • Use one space between a period and the start of the next sentence. The use of one space is accepted by many style guides and is the default in html.

Modern preferred style: one space I like chocolate. You like fruit. Old-fashioned style: two spaces I like chocolate. You like fruit.

6. Avoid run-on sentences A run-on sentence isn’t just a long sentence (a common misconception); it is two sentences squished together without proper punctuation. Correct sentences: He ran home. She stayed behind. Incorrect, run-on sentence: He ran home she stayed behind.

24 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 7. Avoid excessive use of due to; because is better The use of due to is rampant in EIA writing. Grammar advice says that if you are having trouble figuring out whether to use due to or because, because is almost always the better choice. Also consider using as a result of.

Correct: It gets light in the morning because the sun comes up. Incorrect: It gets light in the morning due to the sun coming up. Correct: Oil demand is down as a result of (or in response to) higher prices. Incorrect: Oil demand is down due to higher prices.

8. Use parallel writing styles • Bullets should begin with the same part of speech (noun, verb, adjective, etc.). • Sentences should be parallel. Parallel: Natural gas was transported by pipelines and tankers. Not parallel: Natural gas was transported by pipelines and tanker deliveries.

• Phrases and terms should be parallel. Parallel: Natural gas imports and crude oil imports Not parallel: Natural gas imports and imports of crude oil

• Tense should be parallel. Correct: Oil production was steady from 2001 to 2005, then it was down from 2005 to 2011, but recently it was up. Incorrect: Oil production was up from 2001 through 2005, then it had been decreasing from 2005 through 2014, but now it is up since 2014.

• References to charts and graphs should be parallel. Parallel: (see chart above) Not parallel: (see chart above) (see chart below) (see chart) Note: EIA preference is see chart above (or see graph above), not see above chart. In longer reports with numbered charts, write see Figure 3. You don’t have to indicate above or below if the figures are numbered. 9. It’s OK to split infinitives This rule was concocted by 19th century grammarians of English who tried to force the consistency of Latin grammar onto English. In Latin, you can’t split the infinitive of a verb because it is all one word. English isn’t Latin. It’s OK to split infinitives. Correct split infinitive:To boldly go where no man has gone before.

10. Use first, second, third • Use first, second, third for connected points in text, not firstly, secondly, thirdly. • If you have more than three points, consider numbering the items or using bullets. Saying seventh is cumbersome and confusing.

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 25 11. Ending a sentence with a preposition is OK • Sometimes it is relatively easy to rewrite the sentence so it doesn’t end in a preposition and sounds fine, but don’t convolute the words or meaning to follow this antiquated rule. • Avoid awkward-sounding syntax as you try to keep the preposition out of the sentence-ending spot. • One grammar expert says not ending a sentence with a preposition is one of the biggest grammar myths of all time.

Clear: This is where oil comes from. Clear: What did you step on? Awkward: This is from where oil comes. Awkward: On what did you step?

12. This or that? A common but somewhat confusing style choice in some EIA writing is the use of sentences beginning with this or that or they where the subject is not stated. (You have to look for the subject in the previous sentence.)

Clear: Oil prices are rising because demand is up and supplies are low. This rise in oil prices is the result of… Unclear: Oil prices are rising because demand is up and supplies are low. This is the result of… (This what? Prices rising? Demand up? Supplies low? Don’t make the reader guess.) Clear: Electricity demand is affected by price and weather. These two factors are... Unclear: Electricity demand is affected by price and weather. These are…(These what?)

13. This is because or that is the result of… what? Do not write sentences that begin with This is because, That is because, Those are because, or It is due to. Repeat the subject from the previous sentence. Correct: This change is because of the new law. Incorrect: This is because of the new law. Correct: The increase in demand is a result of the weather. Incorrect: It is due to the weather.

14. Writing the possessive form

Correct and preferred EIA style: Colombia’s oil production (sounds likethe country) Correct but not preferred: Columbian oil production (sounds like the people) Correct and preferred EIA style: Kansas’s legislature Correct but not preferred: Kansas’ legislature

Correct: OPEC’s production Correct: FDR’s policies

26 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 15. To use that or not to use that Using the extra word that is not necessary in many sentences.

Preferred: The sandwich I ate yesterday was good. OK: The sandwich that I ate yesterday was good. Preferred: The cars sold in 2015 have more airbags. OK: The cars that were sold in 2015 have more airbags.

16. And, as well as, in addition The words you write after as well as or in addition to are not as important as the words you write afterand . Equal: Prices went up because of weather and generator outages. (Both factors are equally important.) Unequal: Prices went up because of weather as well as generator outages. (Outages are a less important factor.)

17. Small words are often better than big words Try to avoid: • Additionally (use also or in addition) • Furthermore (use also or in addition) • Numerous (use many) • Utilize (use use) • Incentivize (use encourage or promote) For a longer list of words to avoid, see page 11.

18. Repeat the full noun Don’t omit words in a proper noun to make the list shorter. Include all the words in a noun to be clear. Correct: Central America and South America Incorrect: Central and South America Correct: North Dakota and South Dakota Incorrect: North and South Dakota

19. Headline writing • Be short and concise. • Some headlines have character limits. Today in Energy titles are limited to 90 characters. • Include the time period if it’s important to the story. • Use the present tense for headlines and leaders; use past tense for the text, if appropriate.

Correct: Headline: Natural gas consumption increases Text: Natural gas consumption rose by 3% in 2016 over 2015 levels.

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 27 20. When in doubt, use a write-around Sometimes you just can’t figure out how to write something clearly or correctly, you can’t find it in the style guide, or you don’t know where to look it up. Try this advice: write around it. A write-around using slightly different words is a rephrasing that avoids what’s confusing you.

Not sure?: Can a sentence begin with 4%? Write-around: A total of 4% was included. Not sure?: On-line or online? (EIA writes online as one word.) Write-around: began service or began operating Not sure?: Is data singular or plural? (It’s plural at EIA.) Write-around: The information is, the data series is, the dataset is—if you want to use a singular verb.

21. But it’s in the dictionary Just because it’s in the dictionary doesn’t mean a word or phrase is correct. A dictionary reflects how speakers use the language. As words such as irregardless Did you know? creep into our language, they are added to the dictionary. Inclusion in a dictionary There are two types does not automatically make these words correct. of dictionaries— A style guide establishes standards of good usage. The EIA Writing Style Guide reflects prescriptive and choices made by EIA to establish consistency and correctness in our writing. descriptive. • A prescriptive dictionary is more concerned about correct and standard English. Historically, most It would include only standard usage, spelling, and rules. dictionaries were • A descriptive dictionary describes the language as it is spoken, so it includes prescriptive. The 20th commonly used words, even if they are nonstandard (like ain’t and irregardless). century saw a move A descriptive dictionary might also include nonstandard spellings and guidance toward descriptive about which words are nonstandard or offensive. dictionaries. Today, most dictionaries, including Merriam- Webster, are descriptive.

28 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide Grammar

An entirely adequate description of English grammar is still a distant target and at present seemingly an unreachable one, the complications being what they are.

Robert Burchfield, Unlocking the English Language, 1991

29 1. Which and that • Which and that are not interchangeable. Which is not a more elegant or formal or clever way to say that. Your choice is not a matter of style—this rule is a right- or-wrong choice. • Which: a pronoun that introduces nonessential information. Use a comma before a which clause. If a comma won’t work, then you should be using that. If you crossed out the words in the which clause, the remaining words should still be a complete sentence. • That: a pronoun used to introduce essential information. Don’t use a comma before that. Correct: Power plants that burn fossil fuels emit pollutants. Incorrect: Power plants which burn fossil fuels emit pollutants. Correct: Power plants, which are one source of electric power, may emit pollutants. Incorrect: Power plants that are one source of electric power may emit pollutants.

2. He and I, you and me, myself Each of these examples says send the information to me, which is correct. Correct: Send the information to Mike and me. Correct: Send the information to me and Mike. Correct: Send the information to me. Incorrect: Send the information to Mike and I. (What you are really saying here is send the information to I.) Incorrect: Send the information to Mike and myself. (You are saying send the information to myself.) Correct: I did the work myself. Incorrect: The work was done by Christine and myself. Which and that are not interchangeable. Correct: The work was done by Christine and me. (The work was done by me, not by I and not by myself.) Correct: Christine and I did the work. Here’s the bottom line on which and that: If you can use the word that, use that. If you 3. None is or none are, either...or, and neither...nor don’t have a comma • Deciding whether an indefinite pronoun such as neither, none, everyone, no one, and some takes a singular or plural verb can be tricky. before which, use that. • When an indefinite pronoun is the subject of a verb, it is usually singular.

Correct: None of the proposals was accepted. (Not one was accepted.) Correct: Neither answer was sufficient. • When comparing two items, you must say “either...or” or “neither...nor.” Correct: Neither my officemate nor I was planning to attend the conference. Correct: Either my officemate or my boss was the last person to leave.

30 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 4. Showing possession for singular nouns ending in s Both styles below are correct. Preferred: Kansas’s legislature Correct: Kansas’ legislature Preferred: James’s Correct: James’ More correct examples: Dickens’s novels, the Williams’s new house.

5. Using compound subjects All examples below are correct.

Colleen’s and Melinda’s recipes (different recipes, some from Colleen and some from Melinda) Colleen and Melinda’s recipes (recipes both Colleen and Melinda use) My aunt’s and uncle’s houses (each person has a house) My aunt and uncle’s house (only one house)

The guest speaker and new author, Mr. Smith, will be at our meeting. Ham and swiss is the only sandwich left on the plate.

6. A person is a who, not a that Use who with he, she, people, etc. Use that with objects. Correct: He is the person who came to the meeting. Incorrect: He is the person that came to the meeting. (Many writers make this mistake.) Correct: This is the couch that I just bought. Incorrect: This is the couch who I just bought. (No one makes this mistake.)

7. Fewer, less, lower, and under Fewer and less mean the same thing, but you use them in different circumstances. Use less for mass nouns (things you can’t count individually) and fewer for count nouns (things you can count). Use lower for levels or percentages. Use under to describe location or spatial position (under the table). • Mass nouns—less salt, less tired, less money, less time (note: you can’t make mass nouns plural) • Count nouns—fewer apples, fewer refiners, fewer dollars, fewer hours • Describing levels or amounts—lower imports, higher prices, lower production Correct: Lower imports Correct: Gasoline costs less than $4 per gallon. Incorrect: Fewer imports Incorrect: Gasoline costs under $4 per gallon.

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 31 8. More than and over The words more than and over have similar meanings. EIA style prefers more than to over in these types of sentences.

Correct: Production increased by more than 5%. Incorrect: Production increased by over 5%.

Correct: More than 15 students came to class. Incorrect: Over 15 students came to class.

9. A and An • Usually you use an a in front of nouns that start with consonants: a chair, a piano, a barrel. You use an in front of nouns that start with vowels: an apple, an electric power plant, an import level. • But sometimes it’s not the beginning letter but the pronounced sound of the beginning letter that determines the correct article. Correct: a united front Incorrect: an united front Subject-verb disagreement is a Correct: an MA degree common mistake Incorrect: a MA degree in EIA writing. Correct: an hour, an honor, an heir, a historic day, a utopian society, an unfair Proofreading your law, an MBA writing out loud will help you catch this mistake. 10. Subject-verb agreement Singular nouns take singular verbs, and plural nouns take plural verbs. This advice sounds easy, but it’s confusing with collective nouns (staff, family) and when plural words are added between the subject and verb. Correct: The author of the reports and analyses is… Incorrect: The author of the reports and analyses are…

Correct: The import level of petroleum products and crude oil is… Incorrect: The import level of petroleum products and crude oil are…

Correct: Our forecast, together with the appendix tables, shows that… Incorrect: Our forecast, together with the appendix tables, show that…

Correct: One key factor, high oil prices, is the reason… Incorrect: One key factor, high oil prices, are the reason… Correct: Our experience in dealing with complex models makes us… Incorrect: Our experience in dealing with complex models make us… Correct: EIA staff includes economists and statisticians. (Staff is singular.) Not preferred: EIA staff include economists and statisticians.

32 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide Commonly Misused Words

Proper words in proper places make the true definition of a style.

Jonathan Swift

33 Commonly misused words Definition and example Definition and example about/around about: approximately around: near to, close to (used with numbers) preferred: about 4%; about 3 tons. not preferred: around 4%; around 3 tons Don’t use either word with precise number such as about 3.21 million barrels. accept/except accept: to receive; to agree except: apart from; but; excluding

I accept your suggestions. We approve all your suggestions except the last one. additionally, in addition Same meaning. EIA prefers in to, also, besides addition and also. Avoid additionally.

Just OK: Additionally, the price of gasoline went up. Better: The price of gasoline also went up. advice/advise advice: recommendation; advise: to recommend; to suggest guidance (noun) (verb)

EIA seeks advice from the We must advise you that email American Statistical Association. is an insecure means of transmission. affect/effect affect: to influence effect: a result (as a noun); to bring about, to accomplish (as a verb) Policy decisions affect energy markets. What was the effect of the committee’s work?

The committee’s work effected major changes to the system. aid/aide aid: the act of helping (verb) aide: person acting as an assistant (noun)

The political candidates brought Accepted students must apply for campaign aides to the meeting. financial aid prior to enrollment. a lot/alot/many/allot a lot: a considerable quantity or many: consisting of or amounting extent; a lot is always two words. to a large but indefinite number allot: to parcel out; to assign a share Correct: It takes a lot of coal to alot: not a word. generate electricity. Better: It takes many tons of coal Correct: It takes a lot of coal to to generate electricity. generate electricity. Best: It takes more than 100 tons Incorrect: It takes alot of coal of coal to generate that much to generate electricity. electricity. all ready/already all ready: everything is ready already: before a specified time

Once the papers are all ready, we The meeting is already finished. can send them. all right/alright all right: a statement of affirma- alright: a statement of affirmation, tion, satisfaction, agreement. EIA but this spelling is less preferred preferred style and not standard. Not EIA style

The calculations in the report were all right. 34 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide Commonly misused words Definition and example Definition and example although/though although: in spite of the fact that, though: in spite of the fact that, even though even though. Not EIA style

EIA prefers the use of although, but The dress, though expensive, was both are correct. just what I wanted for the party. (although expensive is preferred) although/while although: in spite of the fact that, while: at the same time* even though *Not a hard-and-fast rule. Often, while can be used in place of although. Be careful.

Although I was full, I still ordered While we were sleeping, an inch of dessert. rain fell. all together/altogether all together: in a group, always two altogether: completely, in all, on words the whole

We sat all together on the lawn at Altogether, the songs on this album the concert. present vivid imagery. alternate/alternative alternate: to change back and forth; alternative: a choice between two every other one in a series things or possibilities

When I cross-train, I alternate An alternative to driving your car is between running and cycling. taking public transportation.

I am the alternate member of Because the weather is cold, the that group. alternative to freezing is wearing a heavy coat. allude to/refer to allude to: to mention indirectly refer to: to mention directly

The report alluded to problems with The report referred to other refer- the system. ences on the subject. amid/amidst amid: American English. amidst: British English EIA prefers amid. among/amongst among: American English. amongst: British English EIA prefers among. He chose among the many options. He chose amongst the many options. (not preferred) any more/anymore any more: additional, any longer anymore: an adverb meaning now- adays or any longer I don’t want any more pizza. I don’t jog anymore. The difference between the two meanings is shown in this sentence: I don’t buy books anymore because I don’t need any more books. anyone/any one anyone: any single person or thing any one: any person or thing

Does anyone have a stamp? Any one of the sandwiches on the menu would be fine. backward/backwards backward: American English. backwards: British English EIA prefers backward. Count backwards from ten to one. Count backward from 10 to 1. (not preferred) because/since because: cause and effect; for that since: from a certain time. Not a reason synonym for because Because prices went up, demand Since 1980, demand has gone up. went down.

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 35 Commonly misused words Definition and example Definition and example because (of)/due to because (of): for that reason due to: as a result of

Note: Because is almost always the Not correct: Production went up right choice. due to more exploration. OK: The production increase was due to more exploration. Better: Production went up because of more exploration. between/among between: connecting or comparing among: in or into the midst of; two objects connecting or comparing more than two objects The driving distance between Please speak freely. You’re among Baltimore and Philadelphia is friends. surprisingly short. I had to choose between chocolate I had to choose among the four ice and vanilla. cream flavors. biannual/biennial/semi- biannual/semiannual: occurring biennial: occurring every two years annual every half year, meaning twice a year. Note: EIA preference is to say twice Note: EIA preference is to say every a year, which removes any possible two years. confusion.

We have a lease agreement Our group’s next biennial requiring that payments be paid on conference will be in two years. a biannual basis in January and July.

This poetry anthology is updated This insect has a biennial on a semiannual basis in June and lifecycle. December. big/large big: often countable (more large: related to objects that are colloquial/common) quantifiable

Not preferred: big price increase, Note: In general, EIA prefers large. biggest nuclear reactor Large price increase, largest nuclear reactor, largest decrease brake/break brake: a device for stopping or break: to separate into parts; to slowing motion smash; a disruption

The system captures excess energy The water in these tubes must be when the driver uses the brake. very pure or the tubes might break.

New commercial building practices caused a break in the trend. breakout/break-out breakout: shown in parts or break-out: adjective modifying ta- categories, as statistical data ble or meeting; smaller or separate item

The breakout of petroleum imports The break-out session discussed showed levels by country. (not the issues. preferred) canceled/cancelled canceled: American spelling, cancelled: British spelling, not preferred preferred

36 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide Commonly misused words Definition and example Definition and example carrot/carat/caret/karat carrot: a vegetable carat: unit of mass used to measure gemstones caret: ^ a wedge-shape editing mark karat: a unit of purity for gold compare to/compare with compare to: to note similarities compare with: to discern both sim- between things. ilarities and differences between things. EIA writing more often compares with something. Most definitions say that with can be used for both similarities and differences, so EIA writers cannot go wrong using compared with.

Correct: Life can be compared to a Correct: The U.S. Congress can roller coaster ride. be compared with the British Parliament. complement/compliment complement: to complete; compliment: to praise; an something that completes expression of praise

Pipelines complement tankers at My boss complimented me for my key locations by relieving bottle- good work. necks.

This Climate Wise Primer is a We take it as a compliment that Comprise does not mean complement to EIA’s Form 1605. journalists reuse Today in Energy include. Something is graphs. never comprised of comprise/compose comprise: to be made up of or composed of: to make up; to form consist of; the whole comprises the the substance of something else. sum of its parts. Something is never comprised of something else.

Note: These two words are not synonyms. Is comprised of is generally incorrect. Comprise does not mean include.

Correct: OPEC’s membership Correct: OPEC’s membership is comprises 12 countries. composed of 12 countries. Correct: The United States comprises 50 states. continental U.S./ continental: on the continent, contiguous: sharing a common contiguous U.S. which includes the Lower 48 states border; touching. This group would and Alaska. only include the Lower 48 states. continuously/continually continuously: uninterrupted or continually: continued constant occurrence; one reoccurrence

The video plays continuously. We continually review and update our policies. data/datum data: a collection of pieces of factu- datum: a single piece of factual al information including statistics; information the plural form of datum

For written EIA products, the word Datum is technically correct, but data is plural. not commonly used.

Correct: The data are correct. If you want to use a singular verb, Incorrect: The data is correct. say information or data series or dataset rather than data. U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 37 Commonly misused words Definition and example Definition and example different from/different Similar meaning. EIA prefers than different from. Different from is almost always the correct choice.

Correct: My ideas are different from yours. Less correct: My ideas are different than yours. due to/because (of) due to: something that is owed or because (of): for that reason; expected; caused by caused by; as a result of

Note: Wider use of due to is Note: Because of is almost always becoming more acceptable, the right choice. In general, use although many uses are because of when you can replace technically not correct. it with on account of in your sentence. Use because of, as a result of, or caused by in most EIA writing. In general, use due to when you can replace it with caused by.

Correct: The plant failure was due Correct: Oil prices increased to unexpected fuel shortages. because of the recent crisis. Incorrect: The plant failed due to Incorrect: The increase in oil unexpected fuel shortages. prices is due to the recent crisis.

Correct: The increase in oil prices is due to the recent crisis. Incorrect: Oil prices have increased due to the recent crisis. email/e-mail EIA uses email—one word, no hyphen. This form is a style decision.

Correct: email Incorrect: e-mail, Email, E-mail ensure/insure/assure ensure: to make certain insure: to protect against financial loss We monitor network traffic to ensure site security. Indemnity clubs insure the tankers that transport petroleum imported assure: to state with confidence; into the United States. to declare earnestly

The director assured the staff that the project budget was adequate. everyday/every day everyday: commonplace; normal every day: each day; regularly; daily These are my everyday shoes. I go for a walk every day. everyone/every one everyone: every person, everybody, every one: each one of a number all the people of people or things

Everyone is welcome to attend the Every one of the chairs must be meeting. stacked in the corner.

38 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide Commonly misused words Definition and example Definition and example expected/forecast/pro- expected or forecast (to be): projected (to be): Generally, projected Estimates of what is expected or jections by EIA are not statements forecast to happen, given historical of what will happen but of what trends, recent data, and specific might happen, given the assump- assumptions. tions and methodologies used for any particular scenario. farther/further farther: at or to a greater distance further: moreover; to a greater extent An average vehicle traveled farther in 2010 than in 2015. In the United Kingdom, deregu- lation is further along than it is in other countries. fewer/less fewer: for items you can count less: for items you can’t count

Correct: There are fewer people at This recipe calls for less salt. the meeting this week. Incorrect: There are less people at the meeting this week. flammable/inflammable These words are synonyms. Both mean ‘easy to burn.’ Best to avoid the word inflammable. forward/forwards/fore- forward: American English foreword: introduction to a book. word (preferred) to go toward Foreword is only a noun.

The child walked forward. I enjoyed reading the foreword to that book. forwards: British English (not preferred) forecast/projected/ forecast or expected (to be): projected (to be): Generally, pro- expected Estimates of what is expected or jections by EIA are not statements forecast to happen, given historical of what will happen but of what trends, recent data, and specific might happen, given the assump- assumptions. tions and methodologies used for any particular scenario. forth/fourth forth: forward in time, place, and fourth: next after the third. A order fourth, one fourth, and a quarter are all correct. Despite setbacks, we are moving forth. (not preferred EIA style) The Surry nuclear plant is the fourth-largest facility in the region.

I ate a fourth of the cake. half/one half/a half/half half: preferred one-half: not preferred of/half a a half: not preferred Preferred: The glass was half full. I ate half an apple. historic/historical historic: famous; important in historical: of, belonging to, or history referring to history

George Washington is a historic Gone with the Wind is a historical figure. novel. hone/home in hone: to sharpen, make more home in: direct onto a point or effective target

The candidate wants to hone her The IRS is homing in on tax fraud. argument.

Hone in is used colloquially, but in writing the correct usage is home in. U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 39 Commonly misused words Definition and example Definition and example impact/effect impact: an effect, used only as a effect: a result; to bring about noun Correct: What was the effect of Don’t use impact as a verb. Use that legislation? affected or influenced by.

Incorrect: Prices impacted demand for gasoline. Correct: The weather affected (not impacted) the price of natural gas. impacted/affected impacted: packed or wedged in (like affected: to influence or to change wisdom teeth); colloquially, affected or influenced. Don’t use impacted as a verb.

Correct: Britney’s wisdom teeth Correct: Oil production was were impacted. affected by the new technology. Incorrect: Oil production was impacted by the new technology. Internet/intranet Internet: a global system of intranet: a private computer interconnected public and network; an internal private computer networks organizational website

The World Wide Web is just one Use the intranet to find service that uses the Internet. employee phone numbers.

Note that Internet is capitalized. Note that intranet is not capitalized. its/it’s its: belonging to it; its is the posses- it’s: it is; it’s is a contraction sive form of it.

EIA has consolidated its analysis Correct: It’s cold outside today. of world oil markets into its latest (which means) It is cold outside report. today. last/past last: final past: previous

Incorrect: Prices increased the last Correct: Prices increased the past The past tense of lead two months. two months. is led. The noun lead later/latter later: at some time after a given latter: of, relating to, or being the time second of two groups or things or (pronounced led) the last of several groups or things is a metal. referred to I can meet with you later. I prefer the latter proposal. lead/led lead: (verb) to guide; to show the led: past tense of the verb lead way Our country continues to lead the Improved technology led to deeper world in wind power growth. reservoir drilling and access to more resources. lead: (noun) a bluish-white, soft, heavy metal Lead was added to gasoline to improve engine performance. loose/lose loose: not tight lose: to give up; to misplace; to not win The loose standards extend Both oil and coal lose market share throughout the industry and allow to natural gas. for abuse.

40 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide Commonly misused words Definition and example Definition and example majority of/most of majority of: only refers to a (count- most of: when writing about a able) number of things or people. noncountable amount

Correct: The majority of the people Correct: Most of (not the majority were Americans. of) the harvest was saved. maybe/may be maybe: perhaps; possible may be: might be; could be

Maybe I will be able to come to the I may be able to come to the meeting tomorrow. meeting tomorrow. more than/over/above more than: of a greater quantity over: above (preferred) or in excess of The price increased by more than (not over) 5%. The price of gasoline went above (not over) $4 per gallon. There are more than (not over) 1,000 applicants for the position. none is/none are none can be singular or plural. none plural: sometimes none means not any, in which case the none singular: None can mean not sentence can take a plural verb. one and be followed by a singular verb. It can also take a singular verb none plural: None of those people when followed by a mass noun. are coming to the meeting.

singular: None of the water is polluted. Use online in all cases— online/on line/on-line online: Become operational; ready on-line: old usage, not EIA for use; related to the Internet preferred style one word, no hyphen.

Note: EIA uses online as one word on line: not EIA preferred style in all cases.

Correct: When you’re on the Internet, you’re online. Correct: The nuclear power plant came online last year. oral/verbal oral: spoken words verbal: written and spoken words

The lawyer presented oral ambiguous: My partner and I had a arguments in the trial. verbal business agreement.

clear: My partner and I had a written business agreement. overtime/over time overtime: extra work over time: over some length of time

Bob had to work overtime this The stockpile was built over time. weekend. pair/pare pair: two of a kind pare: to reduce; to peel

Each module has a pair of small We should pare down this exten- turbines. sive set of instructions to three simple steps. palette/palate/pallet palette: an array of colors pallet: a wooden platform palate: roof of the mouth

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 41 Commonly misused words Definition and example Definition and example personal/personnel personal: private personnel: employees

We do not collect personal The UN Secretary-General information for any purpose. announced the withdrawal of all humanitarian personnel from Iraq. precede/proceed precede: to go before proceed: to continue

The 2012 Style Guide preceded the Proceed down the hallway to the current one. exit. previous/prior previous: coming before in time prior: coming before in time

EIA preferred: our previous not preferred: our prior estimate; estimate; our previous report our prior report principal/principle principal: foremost principle: a rule; standard of good The principal use for this wax is in behavior candles. The final decision was based on principle, not profit. principal: head of a school Mr. Jones was named principal of Maywood Elementary School.

principal: a sum of money You paid back the principal of your loan. projected/ forecast/ projected (to be): Generally, pro- forecast or expected (to be): expected jections by EIA are not statements Estimates of what is expected or of what will happen but of what forecast to happen, given histori- might happen, given the assump- cal trends, recent data, and specific tions and methodologies used for assumptions. any particular scenario. proved/proven (reserves) proved reserves: Term used in EIA proven reserves: Not preferred EIA reports referring to reserves of style. Same meaning as proved re- energy sources. serves. Term referring to reserves of energy sources. quarter/fourth quarter: one-fourth; one of four fourths: one of four equal parts equal parts

Note: both quarter and one-fourth are OK.

Correct: I ate a quarter of the pie. Correct: I ate a fourth of the pie. Not preferred: I ate one-fourth of the pie. regardless/irregardless regardless: despite everything irregardless: not a word

Regardless of the dangers, the hikers went on. seams/seems seams: lines formed by sewing seems: appears together fabric, or a fissure or crack across a surface

Coal comes from deep seams in the Gasoline demand in the Midwest earth. seems to be growing faster.

42 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide Commonly misused words Definition and example Definition and example sight/cite/site sight: the act of seeing site: a location

Customers were excited by the We don’t know how much radi- sight of the new model. um-bearing material is processed at the site. cite: to quote

Please cite all of your sources of information. stationary/stationery stationary: not movable stationery: writing paper

The monitor is stationary, Our office will need to order more so you’ll have to move your chair if stationery with our logo on it. you cannot see it. Remember: The last vowel in both paper and stationery is an e. than/then than: compared with then: at that time; next in time

Developed economies use oil The maps were developed using much more intensively than the GIS software and then converted to developing economies. PDF format. that/which that: a pronoun used to introduce which: a pronoun used to essential information. That phrases introduce nonessential informa- have no preceding comma. tion. Nearly always has a comma before it. That and which are not interchangeable. Correct: This book has a good story, which is one reason I liked it. Correct: I like books that have good stories. Note: Which and that are not inter- Incorrect: I like books which have changeable. Which is not a more good stories. elegant way to say that. If you can use the word that, use that. their/there/they’re their: belonging to them there: in that place

We used their research in our book. Place your signed application over there. they’re: contraction of they are

The refineries undergo maintenance when they’re switching from heating oil to gasoline. thorough/through/threw/ thorough: complete; painstaking threw: tossed though Before hiring a new person, the Because your son threw the ball, company conducts a thorough back- your insurance will not pay to ground check of the applicant. replace the window.

through: from side to side or from though: in spite of the fact that. end to end; completed Informal version of although. Not EIA preferred style. Use although The DOE list includes resources for in formal writing. students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Preferred: Although prices increased, demand remained flat. Preferred: I am finished with this Not preferred: Though prices assignment. increased, demand remained flat. Not preferred: I am through with this assignment.

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 43 Commonly misused words Definition and example Definition and example toward/towards toward: American spelling: towards: British spelling EIA prefers toward She walked towards the exit. (not She walked toward the exit. preferred) traveled/travelled traveled: American spelling, travelled: British spelling EIA prefers traveled upon/on upon: more formal term for on on: less formal than upon

Correct: (less preferred): Based Correct: (preferred): Based on upon these assumptions. these assumptions.

Note: If the word on works in the sentence, use on. No need to use the more formal word upon. upward/upwards upward: American spelling. upwards: British spelling EIA prefers upward We revised the forecast upwards. We revised the forecast upward. (not preferred) variable/volatile variable: likely to change; subject to volatile:tendency to vary often or variation. widely; likely to change suddenly; unpredictable The weather in October is variable. Note: remember to note if it’s high or low volatility.

The stock market can be volatile. verbal/oral verbal: technically, both written and oral: spoken spoken weather/whether weather: state of atmospheric whether: used to introduce alter- conditions native possibilities

The city’s website has a link to the This figure indicates whether mar- local weather forecast. kets are shifting. web/the web web: an adjective meaning related the web: short for the World Wide to the World Wide Web; when used Web, when used as a noun. as an adjective, the word web is lowercased.

I did web research to write my term I used the web to research my paper. vacation. website/web page website: a collection of web pages. web page: a single web page (with EIA uses website as a compound a single url). EIA uses web page word. as two words, where web is an adjective. EIA’s website contains lots of information. I researched electricity information on EIA’s web pages. The word webcast is also a compound word.

44 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide Commonly misused words Definition and example Definition and example which/that which: a pronoun used to introduce that: a pronoun used to introduce nonessential information. Nearly essential information. Phrases with always has a comma before it no preceding comma

This book, which is one of my favor- I like books that have good stories. ites, is a historical novel. Incorrect: This is the book which I Note: Which and that are not in- bought yesterday. terchangeable. Which is not a more Correct: This is the book that I elegant way to say that. If you can bought yesterday. use the word that, use that. while/although while: at the same time; sometimes although: despite used to mean although

Not preferred: While production Preferred: Although production increased, prices stayed the same. increased, prices stayed the same. while/whilst while: American spelling. EIA whilst: British spelling preferred spelling. Whilst we were taking a test, While we were taking a test, the the teacher left the room. (not teacher left the room. preferred)

Him and me, he and I The use of the words me and I is tricky and often confusing. One way to figure out if you’re using them correctly is to break the original sentence into two shorter sentences. If your wording sounds correct when it’s separated, you’ve gotten it right. If the wording sounds off or incorrect, you’re using me and/or I incorrectly.

Correct: Give it to him and me. Separated into two shorter sentences: Give it to him. Give it to me. Incorrect: Give it to he and I. Separated into two shorter sentences: Give it to he. Give it to I. Give it to I is not correct, so give it to he and I also This grammar question becomes more confusing when he and I are the subject of the is not correct. sentence rather than the direct object. Give it to him. Correct: He and I went to the party. Give it to me. Separated into two shorter sentences: He went to the party. I went to the party. So, give it to him and me Incorrect: Him and me went to the party. is correct. Separated into two shorter sentences: Him went to the party. Me went to the party.

Correct: The party was fun for Sam and me. Separated into two shorter sentences: The party was fun for Sam. The party was fun for me. Incorrect: The party was fun for Sam and I. Separated into two shorter sentences: The party was fun for Sam. The party was fun for I.

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 45

Capitalization

A certain amount of copy editing has very little to do with how great a writer you are.

Chicago Manual of Style 16th Edition, 2010

47 1. Capitalization (or not) for words and terms frequently used by EIA

A the administration (the Obama administration) the Arctic (when referring to the region; but arctic blast and arctic fox) autumn

B British thermal unit(s)—Btu is singular and plural. Not BTU (all caps is not correct) C Central time zone Central America central Asia crude oil (but capitalize specific types or blends, for example, Brent, West Texas Intermediate) Colorado state—or the state of Colorado Census region, Census division Congress congressional committee or report the continental United States

D U.S. Department of Energy DOE

E earth (except uses like Earth Day, or in lists with other planets: Earth and Mars) east (compass directions north, south, east, and west are not capitalized) the East Coast the East Eastern Hemisphere Eastern time zone eastern part of the country eastern United States—power comes from the northeastern part of the state. The weather is hotter in the southern half of the country. EIA (not the EIA and not U.S. EIA) email (not Email, E-mail, or e-mail) The terms email and website have evolved over the past decade and have become distinct words or terms that do not require hyphens or capitals. email list (not Listserv, which is a protected trademark that EIA may not use) ENERGY STAR®—all caps, with the register mark ® on first use the equator EU (European Union)—no periods euro ExxonMobil (one word; camel-case M)

F fall federal—lower case for general uses federal government federal law federal report Federal Register Notice Federal Reserve Board Federal Trade Commission

48 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide Forrestal Building gigawatt (GW) G governor of a state gross domestic product (GDP) Gulf Coast (unless there is confusion, do not specify U.S. Gulf Coast) Gulf of Mexico (GOM) homepage (one word, lower case) H Hoover Dam; a dam HR 2454 (for House of Representatives: no periods)

Imported Refiner Acquisition Cost I Internet (capital I) Internet service provider (ISP) investment tax credit (ITC)—lower case, spelled out intranet (lower-case i) kilowatthour (kWh) K

Lower 48 states (capital L and no hyphen) L Make sure you include the word states, not just Lower 48 megabyte M megawatt (MW) megawatthour (MWh) Middle Atlantic Middle East the Midwest (Census region) midwestern states moon Mountain time zone the nation (lower case) N New England New York Harbor; the harbor the North north northeastern states the Northeast (Census region) the North Pole North Sea North Sea Brent Northern California Northern Hemisphere northern New Mexico Nymex futures

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 49 O Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (don’t forget the the) (OPEC)

P the Pacific Northwest Pacific time zone PAD Districts (PADD) the Persian Gulf polar regions production tax credit (PTC) lower case when spelled out

R Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) upper case when spelled out. It’s fuel (not fuels) standard. renewable portfolio standard (RPS) lower case when spelled out Rocky Mountain PADD Rocky Mountains

S seasons are lower case (spring, summer, winter, fall)—except when the seasons are part of a proper noun such as Summer Olympics or Spring Semester the South the Southeast the Southwest spring south (compass directions north, east, south and west are not capitalized) the South Pole Southern California The word web is southern France lower case in all uses. South Africa, but southern Africa South Korea Southern Hemisphere Silicon Valley states (lower case) state energy policy the South (Census region) the Southeast region southern states the South Pole the state of Colorado summer sun

T the territories the union (not preferred; use the nation or the United States) the West (Census region) the U.S. Energy Information Administration (but just EIA, not the EIA)

U U.S. (with periods, never US; spell out United States when used as a noun) U.K. (UK is not incorrect, just not EIA preferred style) url

50 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide Washington state—Washington State is a university W Washington, DC the web (short for World Wide Web) (Chicago Manual of Style prefers web) web page webcast webinar website Western Hemisphere time zones (Eastern standard time, Eastern time zone, Mountain time) western United States west the West Coast the West (but western part of the state) winter World Wide Web (if spelled out) For more information on capitalizing names of regions, localities, and geographic features, see The Chicago Manual of Style: Popular Names and Terms or GPO Style Manual: Capitalization Rules. 2. Capitalizing and punctuating bulleted or numbered lists • Capitalize the first word of each item in a bulleted or numbered list, whether the bullets are complete sentences, phrases, or words. • Don’t use any punctuation at the ends of the bulleted items unless they are complete sentences. Correct punctuation (none): There are four energy-consuming sectors: • Residential • Commercial • Industrial • Transportation Incorrect punctuation (don’t end with semicolons): There are four energy-consuming sectors: • Residential; In most cases, don’t • Commercial; • Industrial; use any punctuation • Transportation; at the end of bullets. Never end bullets with Incorrect punctuation (don’t end with commas): There are four energy-consuming sectors: commas or semicolons. • Residential, Capitalize the first • Commercial, • Industrial, and letter of each bulleted • Transportation, item. Incorrect punctuation (don’t end with periods): There are four energy-consuming sectors: • Residential. • Commercial. • Industrial. • Transportation. U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 51 • Sometimes it is tempting to not capitalize the first word of every bullet. This style is not wrong; it’s just not EIA style. EIA capitalization style: Alternative lower-case style I have three pets: (not wrong, but not EIA style): I have three pets: • Bird • Dog • bird • Cat • dog • cat • Note: Use numbers only for items that have a sequence (step by step) or an intended order (top 10 oil-producing states). Otherwise, use bullets.

Correct: Steps to apply: Correct: There are three top coal-producing states: Capitalize the first • Fill out the form • Sign the form • Wyoming word of each bullet • Turn in the form • West Virginia item, whether or • Kentucky not the bullets are Also correct (adding Also correct (adding numbers complete sentences, numbers indicates order) indicates rank) phrases, or words. Steps to apply: The top three coal-producing 1. Fill out the form states are as follows: 2. Sign the form 1. Wyoming 3. Turn in the form 2. West Virginia 3. Kentucky

3. Capitalizing report titles and headings: title or sentence case There are two types of capitalization for titles and headings: Title case: Capitalize the first letter of each major word in the title and first-level headings. Do not capitalize but, for, or, to, as, a, etc. Second-level headings and below are sentence case. Example of title case capitalization:Natural Gas Production Increased in 2015

Sentence case: Just like the capitalization in a sentence—only the first word of the title or heading is capitalized (and, of course, any names and proper nouns). Use sentence case for second-level headings and below. Also use sentence case for the titles of graphs and tables. Example of sentence case capitalization:Natural gas production increased in 2015

All titles except the report title and first-level headings should be sentence case in EIA style. The EIA report template uses this rule for capitalization.

4. Using title case • Capitalize the main words of table titles and most headings and subheadings, including the second word in a hyphenated term (e.g., PV Program Five-Year Plan, Short-Term Energy Outlook).

52 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide • Do not capitalize articles (i.e., a, an, and the) unless they begin the title or heading; conjunctions (e.g., and, or, nor, and but); or prepositions (e.g.,for, of, and to) unless they contain four or more letters. When to is used in a title or heading, it is capitalized as an infinitive and lowercase as a preposition. Verbs are always capitalized, including is and are. Correct title case: Projected Summer Gasoline Prices Are Near Last Summer’s Level Chavez’s Opponents Accuse Him of Squandering Venezuela’s Resources North American Electric Reliability Regions Map U.S. Petroleum Administration for Defense Districts (PADD) Map International Energy Data and Analysis

• Capitalize all first and last words in title-case titles and headings even if the last word is a preposition. Correct: The Signal Scientists Wait For • Capitalize hyphenated words that would be capitalized if standing alone. Use sentence case Correct: Short-Term Energy Outlook capitalization for titles Correct: Long-Term Forecast Shows Growth of graphs and tables. • Always capitalize the word to when it precedes a verb, if using title case. Correct: Researchers To Discuss Recent Findings Correct: How To Subscribe to the Newsletter • Do not capitalize the word to in other uses. Correct: Add International Data to Your Sample Set

5. Capitalizing governmental references • Do not capitalize the words federal, state, nation, and government or the name of any government entities below the state level, unless it is part of a proper noun. Correct: Which state uses the most electricity? Correct: The renewable initiative is a federal program. Correct: How much oil does our nation import?

• Do not capitalize government entities below the state level, unless the entity name is part of the proper name. Correct: Both county and city governments levy gasoline taxes. Correct: I was born in Carson City, Nevada. Correct: Los Angeles County is in California.

• United States: Spell out United States when it’s used as a noun. Use terms such as United States, country, or nation. Avoid using the term American, which can sometimes refer to more than just the United States. Correct: Grand Coulee Dam is the largest electric power facility in the country. Incorrect: Grand Coulee Dam is the largest electric power facility in America.

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 53 • Congress: Capitalize the full names and shortened names of governmental organizations. Congress is capitalized, but congressional is not capitalized.

Correct: The U.S. Congress is considering amendments to energy legislation. The Congress did not pass the amendments. Correct: The congressional session resulted in no action. • Remember to be consistent in capitalization of governmental references within each document.

6. Capitalizing acts, treaties, and government programs • Capitalize formal or accepted titles of rules, pacts, plans, policies, treaties, acts, programs, and similar documents or agreements. Correct: The Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) was promulgated by EPA in March 2005. This rule was published in the Federal Register.

• Do not capitalize incomplete or generic references to acts, treaties, and government programs. Spell out United States when it’s used as a noun. Correct: The treaty set international standards. For more information on capitalizing governmental entities, seeGPO Style Manual Chapter 3: Capitalization rules and Chapter 4: Capitalization examples.

7. Using capitals in EIA organization names and titles Capitalize names of specific offices and teams. Do not capitalize organization names in generic, nonspecific references. Correct: Office of Communications Correct: Petroleum Marketing Statistics Team Correct: John Krohn, Content Operations Team Leader Correct: Gina Pearson, Assistant Administrator, Office of Communications Correct: Meet with your office director. Correct: EIA has many team leaders.

8. Using bold for emphasis instead of capitals Do not write in all capital letters for emphasis, which is interpreted as shouting at the reader. Use bold or italics instead of uppercase or underlining when you want to emphasize a word or phrase.

Correct: Important note: We review databases annually. Incorrect: IMPORTANT NOTE: We review databases annually.

Correct: That is why these technologies must never be abandoned. Incorrect: That is why these technologies must NEVER be abandoned.

54 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 9. Capitalizing Internet-related words Capitalization of Internet-related words is a style decision that has evolved over time. Use these capitalization styles for EIA writing.

homepage web page (web is lowercased a l l t h e Internet time) Internet service provider (ISP) webcast intranet webinar url website the web (short for World Wide Web) World Wide Web

10. Capitalizing embedded hypertext links • When the text in the embedded link is the title of a publication or other proper name, match the link capitalization to the capitalization of the publication’s title. Examples: Electric Power Monthly is released each month. See What’s New in the Petroleum Supply Monthly for details.

• When the text in the embedded link is not a title, use lower case. Example: Information on pipeline capacity covers all four regions of the United States. • Do not capitalize embedded links that are not proper nouns or titles. Example: The updated information was released today.

11. Using capitals in company names • Capitalize the same way the company does. Example: Use Twitter and Tweet

• Use camelcase (capital letters inside the name or word) only if it is the formal Use bold or italics company name. instead of uppercase or Examples: underlining when you iPod want to emphasize a PayPal word or phrase. PowerPoint TiVo ExxonMobil (one word) but Exxon Mobil Corporation

• Avoid using all caps for company names and other names. Examples: Bentek, not BENTEK Nymex, not NYMEX Pepco, not PEPCO Energy Star (don’t use the ® symbol)

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 55

Numbers

If a page number in the table of contents is wrong, the data in Table 4 is just as likely to be wrong. Carol Fisher Saller, The Subversive Copy Editor: Advice from Chicago, 2009

57 1. Writing out numbers or numerals • Write out numbers from one through nine. Exceptions: When the numbers refer to percentages (2%), time of day (4:00 p.m.), or measurement (3 inches, 9 miles). Guidance on using numbers or words for measurements is tricky. EIA writes out numbers for the calendar (four weeks, eight days). Correct: The five renewable energy sources used most often are biomass, hydropower, geothermal, wind, and solar. Correct: We did eight experiments with two barrels of oil. Correct: The report is due in four months. • Use numerals for numbers 10 and above. Correct: In this report, the U.S. Energy Information Administration presents 10 major energy trends. Correct: Nearly 30 million tons of trash were processed last year in waste-to- energy facilities. • Use numerals for each number when two or more numbers appear in a sentence and one of them is 10 or larger. Correct: Last month, 8 of the 16 geothermal sites were evaluated. Incorrect: Last month, eight of the 16 geothermal sites were evaluated. Correct: At the meeting of 12 offices and 3 divisions, they all had the same ideas. Incorrect: At the meeting of the 12 offices and three divisions, they all had the same ideas. • Write out any number that begins a sentence. Do not begin a sentence with a number or a year. Examples: Twenty-two people came to the meeting. Thirty-one municipalities have proposed commercial nuclear power plants. Fifteen years later, production at the mine had increased. • Write out ordinal numbers (a number that indicates rank) under 10; use Write out numbers from numerals for ordinal numbers 10 and above. one through nine. Example: China is the fifth-largest producer of oil. Example: As of January 2015, Louisiana ranked 15th in nuclear capacity. Use numerals for Example: China ranked 5th and India ranked 12th in global coal production. numbers 10 and above. (Use numbers for both ordinal ranks if one number in the sentence is greater than 9.) • The letters in ordinal numbers should not be superscripts. Write 20th, not 20th. This format is not the default in Microsoft Word—you have to undo the automatic superscript. This lowered th format is the default in html, so it will be formatted correctly in the final version posted on the website. • Use numerals (not words) usually until 1 million.

Preferred Not preferred 3,000 3 thousand 680,000 680 thousand 3 million 3,000,000 15,500 15.5 thousand $1.13 113 cents

58 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide • Consider a write-around if you have a sentence ending in a decimal number. Correct, but confusing: Average cupcake consumption was 1.1. Better: Guests ate an average of 1.1 cupcakes.

2. Writing out or using numerals for fractions • Write out simple fractions and use hyphens. Examples: Coal typically fuels about nine-tenths of net electricity generation in Ohio. Three-fourths of the congressional members voted for the bill. (Three- fourths and three-quarters are both correct.) The law passed by a two-thirds majority. • Use numerals for mixed fractions. Example: The 7½-inch pipeline crosses two states.

• Don’t use th for fractions or dates. Correct: The tear was 1/64 of an inch. Correct: May 7 Use the % sign in all th th Incorrect: The tear was 1/64 of an inch. Incorrect: May 7 EIA writing. • Write out fractions that are followed by a, of, or an. Example: The cake recipe called for a quarter cup of milk.

• Use numerals in fractions that are followed by a unit of measure. Correct: The coal beds are at least 3¼ miles apart. Correct: The outage lasted for 1½ days.

3. Always use the % sign for percent • Use the % sign in all EIA content. • If you are updating a document that uses the word percent, be careful when using global search and replace, because the word percentage will become %age. • No spaces between the numeral and the % sign. Correct: 5% Incorrect: 5 %

• No hyphen between the numeral and the % sign when the phrase is a modifier. Correct: The price shock resulted in a 75% increase at the pump. Incorrect: The price shock resulted in a 75%-increase at the pump.

• Express percentages in numerals. Correct: In 2015, the inflation rate rose by 3%. Correct: The oil price shocks result in a 25% rise in gas prices.

Incorrect: During 2015, the inflation rate rose by three percent.

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 59 4. Writing ranges of numbers and adjacent numbers • When writing a ange,r state the units or % with both values. If a budget increase is written as $3-$4 million dollars, that might mean $3 to $4 million, or $3 million to $4 million. State the units with each number to eliminate ambiguity. Correct: Consumption rose 2%–4% across four regions. (repeat %. The en dash means to) Correct: Consumption rose 2% to 4% across four regions.

Incorrect: Consumption rose 2–4% across four regions. (% sign isn’t by both numbers) Incorrect: Consumption rose 2 to 4% across four regions. (% sign isn’t by both numbers)

Correct: The temperature ranged between 32°C–40°C.

• Adjacent numbers—using numbers for two different things in the same sentence. Correct: I drank four 2-liter bottles of Coke Zero. Correct: The utility built ten 5-kW reactors. Correct: The pipeline was built in fifteen 10-mile stretches. Correct: The total consists of 67 turbines each with a capacity of 1.5 MW. (not 67 1.5 MW turbines)

5. Writing negative numbers or minus signs • When writing negative numbers, always use a hyphen (not an en dash) for the negative sign. Correct: The temperature was minus 4°F. (preferred) Correct: The temperature was -4°F. Incorrect: The temperature was negative 4°F.

• When writing about monetary decreases, put the minus sign before the $ sign. Correct: -$0.07 Incorrect: $- 0.07 • When writing a alculation,c spell out the word minus rather than using the minus sign. Correct: The total was 30 minus 27. Incorrect: The total was 30-27. (This style makes the total look like a range rather than a subtracted value.)

6. Using numerals with units of measure Correct: I drove 8 miles. Correct: The bottle contained 4 liters. • Calendar references are not units of measure, so spell out the numbers. Correct: The meeting is in three days. Correct: I will go on vacation in six months.

60 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 7. Using numbers with currency • Write out the word cents or use the ¢ symbol when writing about cents only (when not writing about dollars). Both options are OK. Be consistent within your document. Examples: The price of gasoline went up 15 cents per gallon last week. The price of gasoline went up 15¢ per gallon last week.

• Sometimes when writing about prices (especially gasoline prices), it makes sense to state the actual prices in dollars per gallon and the price changes in cents per gallon. Again, be consistent in usage and style within a document. Check with your supervisor if you are uncertain about units. Correct: The U.S. retail price of gasoline decreased $0.15 per gallon last week to $3.82 per gallon, $0.34 per gallon higher than last year at this time. Correct: The U.S. retail price of gasoline decreased 15 cents (or 15¢) per gallon last week to $3.82 per gallon, 34 cents (or 34¢) per gallon higher than last year at this time. • If numerals are used for dollars, use the dollar sign ($). Correct: The average coal-fired power plant costs $850 million to build. Incorrect: The average coal-fired power plant costs 850 million dollars to build. Incorrect: The average coal-fired power plant costs $850 million dollars to build.

• If adjusting for inflation, use 2012 dollars or 2012$, not $2012. Correct: The price of gasoline was adjusted for inflation using 2012$. Correct: The price of gasoline was adjusted for inflation using 2012 dollars.

• Numbers or prices in the same sentence should be shown to the same significance. Correct: The cost of electricity rose from 6.7 cents per kWh to 7.0 cents per kWh. Incorrect: The cost of electricity rose from 6.7 cents per kWh to 7 cents per kWh.

• When writing about international topics, note whether the dollar values are in U.S. dollars. Spell out the unit the first time used; then use the abbreviation. Correct: US $5 million Correct: Euro (EUR) 5 million Incorrect: USD $5 million Correct: Australian Dollar (AUD) 5 million Incorrect: $US 5 million Correct: Canadian Dollar (CAD) 5 million Incorrect: $U.S. 5 million Correct: Japanese Yen (JPY) 5 million

8. Mixing numerals and written-out numbers for large numbers • To make large numbers (beginning with million) easier to read, mix numerals and written-out units.

Correct: In December 2007, two countries exported more than 1.5 million barrels per day to the United States. Correct: Libya has eight oil fields with reserves of 10 billion barrels or more each, and four others with reserves of 500 million to 10 billion barrels. Correct: The population is 3 billion people.

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 61 9. Writing out or using numerals for dates and years • Use numerals to refer to a span of years. Omit the first two digits of the second number, if the two years are in the same century. This guidance applies to text, headings, graph titles, and labels.

Correct: The model year 2005-07 standards 2000-2040 (2000 is the end of the 20th century, so all four digits are used.) FY 2000–FY 2016 1998–2016 January 2010–December 2015

• Use all four digits when referencing a specific year; don’t omit the first two digits. Correct: New investment in clean energy sources increased in 2008. Incorrect: New investment in clean energy sources increased in ’08. Write 1980s, not 1980’s. Write March 12, not • Write out the number associated with a century if the number is below 10. Use March 12th. lower case. Correct: Wood fueled the country from its earliest years through the middle Write 2015–17, of the 19th century. not 2015–2017 Correct: Chinese merchants and traders arrived and settled in the ninth century. • Write out decades in lowercase, or use numerals. If you use numerals, do not use the apostrophe between the numerals and the s. Correct: 1990s Incorrect: 1990’s • Don’t use superscript for dates. Correct: January 3 Incorrect: January 3rd

• Don’t begin a sentence with a year in numerals. Correct: Nineteen ninety eight was a good year for business. Correct: The year 1998 was a good year for business. Incorrect: 1998 was a good year for business.

10. Writing out or using numerals for time • Use numerals for exact times that are followed by a.m. or p.m. Correct: Several thousand customers were affected by yesterday’s 5:15 a.m. power outage.

• Write out the words noon and midnight and combine with numerals. Don’t use 12:00 p.m. or 12:00 a.m. or 12:00. Correct: The market will run from 9:00 a.m. through 12:00 noon. Correct: Ending stocks are held in storage as of 12:00 midnight. • Write out the numbers when combined with the word o’clock. Correct: Every day, Marie Curie read until three o’clock in the morning.

62 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 11. Using commas in numerals of four digits or more Use commas between groups of three digits, starting from the right, to show thousands, millions, etc., in writing and on graphs. Correct: A short ton is a unit of weight equal to 2,000 pounds. Correct: PV cells and module shipments increased from 181,116 kilowatthours to 226,916 kilowatthours.

12. Using decimals and significant digits • Use a zero before a decimal point if there is no value in the first place to the left of the decimal. Correct: The price fell by 0.2%. Incorrect: The price fell by .2%.

• Use the same level of significant digits in a comparison or section. Consistent: Consumption rose by 2.0% in February and by 3.2% in March. Inconsistent: Consumption rose by 2% in February and by 3.2% in March.

• Round to a whole number unless it is important to show the exact number. Rounded: Crude oil imports in February 2015 were about 15 million barrels per day. More significance: Crude oil imports in February 2015 were 15.013 million barrels per day.

• Omit zeros after a decimal point unless they indicate exact measurement and the audience needs to know the level of significance. Use whole numbers to show percent change if possible. Remember that 3% means something different than 3.0%. Correct: OPEC crude oil production will average about 32.2 million b/d during the first quarter of 2015, down from 33.0 million b/d last year. Correct: Prices rose about 3% between March and April.

• The number of significant digits might vary within a document. You don’t have to show the same number of digits for each figure you write within a document. Try to be consistent within sentences and paragraphs when you refer to the same units. For more information on numbers, seeThe Chicago Manual of Style, Chapter 9: Numbers and GPO Style Manual, Chapter 12: Numerals.

13. Formatting phone numbers Show the area code, and use hyphens between number groups. Do not use parentheses or periods around or between numbers. Technical inquiries Phone: 202-586-8959

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 63 14. Writing about changes in values • Be careful when writing that a value increased four-fold. If something goes from 1 to 4, that’s a four-fold increase but only a 300% increase. These calculations are not easy for readers to understand. Correct, more clear: Consumption increased from 1 unit to 4 units, or 300%, between 2015 and 2016. Correct, possibly confusing: Consumption increased four-fold between 2015 and 2016. • Distinguish between percent change and percentage point change. Correct: Oil share dropped from 50% to 48%, a decline of 2 percentage points. • Restating a change: If you state a change in physical units and then restate the same change as a percentage, you must use a comma or commas to show you are restating the same change. Correct: Production fell by 6 million b/d, or 10%, in 2014. Incorrect: Production fell by 6 million b/d or 10%. (Omitting the comma means it fell by one value or the other. The commas signal that it fell by both values.) Correct: Oil prices rose from $80 per barrel to $100 per barrel, or 25%, between 2007 and 2008. Correct: Oil prices rose from $80 per barrel to $100 per barrel (25%) between 2007 and 2008. Incorrect: Oil prices rose from $80 per barrel to $100 per barrel or 25% between 2007 and 2008.

Writers make this mistake when they state the change in units and then restate the change as a percentage. It’s not that the item changed by this amount or this other amount. Rather, it’s that the item changed by this amount, and restated, it changed by this other amount.

If you state a change 15. Using the correct verb when writing about numbers in physical units and A number is singular, but what about a number of? A number takes a plural verb, and then restate the same the number takes a singular verb. change as a percentage, you must use a comma Correct: A huge number of people are going to the show. Correct: A small number of children are waiting for the bus. or commas to show you are restating Incorrect: A number of them is going. the same change. Correct: The number 15 is what we are aiming for. Production increased by Correct: I thought the number 50 was close to the right answer. 1.2 million barrels per day , or 5% , in 2015. 16. Writing about numbers (also applies to writing in general) Be careful with more than/less than, over/under, and fewer/less. More than and less than refer to a number or an amount. Over and under refer to positions or places. Fewer is used with countable objects (e.g., apples, seats), while less is used for noncountable objects (e.g., sand, salt).

64 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide Preferred Not preferred U.S. reliance on imports U.S. dependence on imports natural gas gas (ambiguous–could be gasoline) net imports of gasoline gasoline net imports electricity demand, electricity generation electric demand, electric generation transportation fuel use transportation energy demand about 7 million barrels around or approximately 7 million barrels were the lowest since… were at the lowest levels since… use of coal usage of coal 5 million tons a total of 5 million tons set a record set a new record, all-time record high more than $5 per gallon over $5 per gallon The class has more than 50 students. The class has over 50 students. Fewer than 10 kids came to the party. Under 10 kids came to the party. for more than two decades for over two decades more than 22% over 22% difference between differential between There are fewer rigs operating now. There are less rigs operating now.

17. Typing scientific notations and footnotes EIA publications often contain footnotes and scientific notations that normally appear as superscript numbers. Use the following steps to make numbered characters appear as subscript or superscript where necessary.

In Microsoft Word: 1. Type out the text that includes the character that you want to be in subscript (or superscript). 2. Highlight the character (or number) to be subscripted. 3. Click on the Home tab. 4. Locate the Font box and look for this icon. 5. Check the Subscript icon. 6. The shortcut is ctrl+. Hold both keys together while the character you want to be in subscript is highlighted. EIA style prefers no subscripts when possible (CO2, for example, with an inline 2) so the html spacing of the lines remains consistent. CO2 is OK for technical reports. Be consistent within your document.

18. Writing mathematical equations A mathematical equation is either a sentence or a clause within a sentence. Mathematical symbols, however, are not plain English. Because sentences containing equations often include mathematical details, they may be longer and more complex than plain English sentences, and they may be formatted differently. Sentences with equations follow the same grammar, punctuation, and capitalization rules as sentences and clauses written in words.

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 65 Variable definitions may appear either before or after an equation. Each variable definition is itself an equation and should be punctuated either as a sentence or as an independent clause. Ending commas or semicolons are both correct.

Correct: Let wj,t,l be the weight of component model j, based on historical data up to and including year t, in the calculation of l-step-ahead projections, where j = 1, … , k and l ≥ 2. For j = 1,2, … , k ‒ 1, let

The inverse transforms are defined by

Correct: The static regression model for the Mont Belvieu ethane price is

where

yt = annual average Mont Belvieu ethane price (cents per gallon in 2011 When typing dollars) in year t;

mathematical x1,t = ethane production (million barrels per day) in year t; expressions, use a x2,t = total chemical demand (value of domestic shipments, in billions of font in which every 2005 dollars) in year t; character is unique. x3,t = annual average West Texas Intermediate crude oil price (2011 dollars Readers often cannot per barrel) in year t; and use the context to εt = a normally distributed random error term. distinguish between characters. Incorrect: The static regression model for the Mont Belvieu ethane price is:

Using fonts in which letters or numbers Where: = annual average Mont Belvieu ethane price (cents per gallon in 2011 are indistinguishable dollars) in year t (e.g., l and I) can x = ethane production (million barrels per day) in year t lead to ambiguities. 1,t x = total chemical demand (value of domestic shipments, in billions of Use the Microsoft 2,t 2005 dollars) in year t Word equation editor x = annual average West Texas Intermediate crude oil price (2011 dollars (Insert Tab, Equation 3,t per barrel) in year t Dropdown Menu) to

guarantee clarity. εt = a normally distributed random error term

Sometimes a large number of variable definitions (e.g., definitions for all variable names used in a document) are compiled into a data dictionary, which is formatted as a list or a table. In these cases, the style rules for lists or tables apply.

66 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide Commas

Let’s eat Grandma. Let’s eat, Grandma.

I like cooking my family and my pets. I like cooking, my family, and my pets.

Commas save lives.

67 1. Using commas with items listed in sentences—EIA always uses the serial comma • Use commas to separate three or more items in a list. Don’t forget the comma between the last two items. This comma is often called the serial comma (or the Oxford comma) and is an EIA style choice. Correct: The pump price reflects the costs of refiners, marketers, distributors , and retail gas station owners. Correct: The American flag is red, white , and blue. • Sometimes the serial comma is imperative for clarity. Adding one comma in the second sentence below adds two people to the meaning. Example: Two girls, Christine and Michelle, went home. (two people) Example: Two girls, Christine, and Michelle went home. (four people)

• If the last item in the list has more than one part, use this punctuation. The serial comma is after french fries, not after chocolate. Correct: For lunch I ate steak, french fries, and a chocolate and vanilla cake. • Here’s a classic example of the reason to use a serial comma. Ambiguous meaning: I would like to thank my parents, Albert Einstein and Mother Theresa. (Who are my parents? Without the serial comma after Einstein, my parents appear to be those two famous people.)

2. Using commas with introductory phrases • Use a comma after introductory words, phrases, or clauses. Example: After drafting the regulations, the agency called for comments.

• Using a comma after a short introductory phrase is often optional, but an introductory phrase of four words or more should be followed by a comma to make the sentence easier to read. EIA always uses the Correct (but optional) commas serial comma. Example: In addition, federal taxes are added to the price of gasoline. Example: In 2015, EIA published an updated Writing Style Guide. Example: Of course, we approved the report.

• Long introductory phrases require an introductory comma. Example: When the Navy destroyers engaged North Vietnamese torpedo boats in August 1964, the United States officially entered the Vietnam War.

• One way to avoid this comma-use dilemma is to change the order of the components of the sentence, so no comma is needed. It depends on what you are trying to emphasize in the sentence. Example: The United States officially entered the Vietnam War when the Navy destroyers engaged North Vietnamese torpedo boats in battle in August 1964. • Don’t use a comma after an introductory phrase that is followed by a verb. Example: Issuing the regulations begins the review process.

68 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 3. Using commas with which and that phrases The words which and that are not interchangeable. You use the word which in cases where the text that follows elaborates on the first part of the sentence. You use the word that in cases where the sentence doesn’t need a comma to break up the two thoughts in the sentence. • Use a comma before a clause that begins with which. • Do not use a comma before that. Example: EIA’s conference chairs, which are old, will be replaced. Use a comma before (All of EIA’s conference chairs will be replaced because they all happen to be a clause that begins old.) with the word which. Example: EIA’s conference chairs that are old will be replaced. (Only EIA’s old conference chairs will be replaced, but the new ones will not be replaced.) For more information on using which and that, see: Chapter 5 Commonly Misused Words

• Use commas to set off supplemental or parenthetical information. • Do not use commas if the phrase or clause restricts the meaning such that, if you deleted the phrase or clause, the sentence would be unclear. Correct: The amendments, adopted in 1960, changed enforcement procedures. The commas setting off adopted in 1960 signify that the date of adoption informs, but does not restrict, which amendments are being discussed.

Example: The amendments adopted in 1960 changed enforcement procedures. Without commas, the sentence above indicates that the amendments that were adopted in 1960 set forth the procedures. The phrase restricts which amendments are being discussed.

4. Using a comma to separate a name from a title Don’t forget the second comma. The title or other additional information could also be written in parentheses or with em dashes. Correct: John Smith, human resources director, issued the regulations. Correct: John Smith (human resource director) issued the regulations. Correct: John Smith—human resource director—issued the regulations.

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 69 5. Using commas with conjunctions and with two complete sentences Use a comma when two complete sentences (also called independent clauses) are separated by a conjunction, such as and, but, and or. Complete sentence, but complete sentence. Complete sentence, while complete sentence. Complete sentence, and complete sentence. Two sentences separated by a comma Correct: I would like to attend the conference, but I can’t find registration information. Correct: Paul pumped the gas, and Mary got a soda. Correct: I was hungry, so I went to the store. One sentence with no comma Correct: Paul pumped the gas and got a soda. Incorrect: Paul pumped the gas, and got a soda. Correct: I was hungry and went for dinner. Incorrect: I was hungry, and went for dinner.

Either put the thoughts in two separate sentences, or, if you put them together, use a comma between the two complete sentences.

6. Using commas in dates • Do not use a comma to separate the month from the year. Incorrect: October, 2012 Incorrect: Oct. 2012 Incorrect: October of 2012 • Use a comma to separate the date from the year but not the month from the Use a comma when year. two complete Correct: October 4, 2012 sentences are Correct: October 2012 separated by a conjunction. 7. Commas after e.g. and i.e. Always put a comma after e.g. and i.e. Do not italicize e.g. or i.e. EIA preferred style is to say for example or that is rather than to use these abbreviations. Preferred: I like ethnic food (for example, Thai, Mexican, and Indian). Correct: I like ethnic food (e.g., Thai, Mexican, and Indian). Preferred: The year has four seasons, that is, winter, spring, summer, and fall. Preferred: The year has four seasons—winter, spring, summer, and fall. Correct: The year has four seasons, i.e., winter, spring, summer, and fall.

70 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 8. Using commas with however Correct: However hard I tried, I couldn’t stop eating chocolate. (no comma after however) Correct: However, I didn’t gain any weight. (comma) (beginning a sentence with however is not recommended)

9. Using commas with too Either way is correct. Some style books say the comma puts a little more emphasis on the word too.

Correct: I like it too. Correct: I like it, too. Always put a comma after e.g. and i.e.

10. Using commas when restating a numerical change Writers make this mistake when they state the change in units and then restate the change as a percentage. It’s not that the item changed by this amount or by this other amount. Rather, it’s that the item changed by this amount, or restated, it changed by this other amount. The commas setting off the restatement are critical.

Correct: Oil prices rose from $80 per barrel to $100 per barrel, or 25%, between 2007 and 2008. Incorrect: Oil prices rose from $80 per barrel to $100 per barrel or 25% between 2007 and 2008.

11. Using commas with large numbers Use commas to show thousands in writing and on graph axes. Some graphing packages drop the comma, just using 1000, 1200, 1400. This format is not EIA style.

Correct: 1,200 Incorrect: 1200 International: 1 200

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 71

Hyphens and Dashes

Why we need hyphens: Because a small-state senator is not the same as a small state senator.

Grammar Monkeys blog and other online sources

73 1. Hyphen (-), En dash (–), and Em dash (—) The two types of dashes and the hyphen have different uses and are not interchangeable. Simply put, hyphens bring words together, en dashes show a span or relationship, and em dashes set words apart. Example with all three: The three-year-old nuclear reactor—located at Crystal Lake—will be closed 3–5 weeks for a safety evaluation. Em dash and en dash are strange names for dashes, but they come from the historical widths of the typeset capital letters M and N. You can remember an em dash is longer than an en dash because a capital M is wider than a capital N.

The rules for using hyphens in compound words are somewhat flexible. Compound words frequently have a hyphen stage when they are newly combined, then the hyphen disappears as the compound is commonly used and becomes one word. For example, on line became on-line and is now online. • Hyphen (-) connects words for clarity. It is the shortest of the three dash lines. Correct: short-term forecasts, combined-cycle plant, shut-in capacity • En dash (–) shows a range from (something) to (something else), usually numbers or dates. You should be able to substitute the word to for an en dash. An en dash is longer than a hyphen but shorter than an em dash. Correct: The party is from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Correct: The party runs 3:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. Correct: Consumption rose 2%–4% Correct: Consumption rose between 2% and 4%. Incorrect: The party is 3:00 p.m.—5:00 p.m. Incorrect: Production decreased from 1997-2007. Incorrect: Electricity demand ranged between 1-3 MWh. • Em dash (—) is twice as wide as a hyphen and serves the same purpose as The two types of dashes commas or parentheses, with a phrase set between them. Em dashes are often and the hyphen have used in pairs. Use an em dash to indicate a sudden break or abrupt change in thought, or to emphasize an idea. Also consider using em dashes rather than different uses and are parentheses to set off examples or specific items. not interchangeable. Correct: Consumption of liquid fuels is projected to decline in 2016—a sharp reversal from previous projections. Correct: Most—but not all—of the attendees were from EIA. Incorrect spacing: Most — but not all — of the attendees were from EIA. Correct: Three states (California, Texas, and New York) have high electricity prices. Correct: Three states—California, Texas, and New York—have high electricity prices.

• EIA style does not use spaces between hyphens and dashes and the surrounding text. Correct spacing: I like cookies and—dare I say—cake. Incorrect spacing: I like cookies and — dare I say — cake.

74 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide Typing an en dash: There is no computer key for typing an en dash. You can insert it as a symbol, or, in Microsoft Word you can press Ctrl-Minus (the minus key is above and to the right of the 9 key on the number pad of a standard keyboard). Don’t use spaces between words and an en dash.

Typing an em dash: There is no computer key for typing an em dash. You can insert it as a symbol, or, in Microsoft Word you can press Ctrl-Alt-Minus (the minus key is Never use a hyphen in above and to the right of the 9 key on the number pad of a standard keyboard). In place of a dash. When Microsoft Word you also can type two hyphens after a word, and then leave no space people say use a dash, between the second hyphen and the next word. Microsoft Word will automatically they almost always convert the two hyphens to an em dash when you continue typing. Don’t use spaces mean an em dash. between words and an em dash.

2. Hyphenating compound words • Use a hyphen between words when they are combined to modify the word that follows. Examples: near-term contract high-level discussion agreed-upon standards high-volume wells long-term forecast second-largest producer combined-cycle plant fifth-largest region five-year period

• Don’t use a hyphen in compound words when the meaning is clear without the hyphen and the hyphen will not aid readability. Examples: bituminous coal industry child welfare plan civil rights case per capita

• Proper noun compounds: with hyphens. Examples: Spanish-American pride Winston-Salem festival African-American program Franco-Prussian War

• Dangling hyphens: when two or more hyphenated compounds have a common element and this element is omitted in all but the last term. Examples: coal- and natural gas-fired generation (not natural-gas-fired generation) highly service- and technology-oriented business pro- and anti-competitive practices long- and short-term forecasts mid- and late-2000s

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 75 • Two modifiers before a noun with an adverb that ends in “-ly.”: no hyphen, because ambiguity is unlikely. Examples: rapidly growing economy frequently missed deadlines heavily skewed results competitively priced fuel

• Compound that includes a non-English phrase: no hyphen. Examples: bona fide transaction ex officio member per capita consumption

• Different hyphenation using the same words. I walked the much-loved dog. The dog was much loved.

We use a low-cost fuel. That fuel is low cost.

It’s a day-to-day task. I take life day to day.

I bought a new air-conditioning unit. I am chilled by the air conditioning.

• The terms end use and end-use are often used in EIA writing. A hyphen is required when end-use is used as an adjective but not when it’s used as a noun. Correct: Residential is one of the end-use sectors. Incorrect: Residential is one of the end use sectors.

Correct: The end uses of electricity include powering lights and providing air conditioning. Incorrect: The end-uses of electricity include powering lights and providing air conditioning.

76 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 3. Using a hyphen to avoid mispronunciation or ambiguity in context In some cases, you should use a hyphen to prevent mispronunciation or to avoid ambiguity of a word.

Write: To avoid confusion with: pre-position preposition re-creation recreation re-sorting resorting un-ionized unionized re-press repress re-treat retreat trans-shipment transshipment

• Sometimes a hyphen is needed to prevent ambiguity in a sentence. Clear: The scientist tested a new defect-causing gas. Not clear: The scientist tested a new defect causing gas. The hyphen makes it clear the gas is causing defects.

Clear: The silver-jewelry cart has nice gifts. Not clear: The silver jewelry cart has nice gifts. The hyphen makes it clear the jewelry is silver, not the cart.

4. Using hyphens with numbers • Use a hyphen when the number is a descriptor and a modifier. Examples: 24-inch ruler 10-minute delay 275-page book 3-to-1 ratio 18-year-old power plant over a 12-month period five-year plan three-week period

• Use a hyphen between the elements of a fraction. Correct: one-thousandth Correct: two-thirds Correct: three-fourths of an inch

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 77 • Do not use a hyphen to indicate a range. Use an en dash. Correct: between 25 inches and 30 inches Correct: 25–30 inches Incorrect: 25-30 inches (hyphen isn’t correct) • Do not use a hyphen to mean minus in text. The hyphen below looks like a dash, not a subtraction sign. Correct: Imports minus exports. Incorrect: Imports-exports.

5. Using hyphens with civil and military titles • Do not use a hyphen with a civil or military title denoting a single office, but do use a hyphen for a double title. Examples of single title: no hyphen major general former president Clinton

Examples of double title: secretary-treasurer treasurer-manager

• Use a hyphen with the adjectives elect and designate. Example: President-elect Secretary of Housing and Urban Development-designate ambassador-designate

6. Big list of commonly hyphenated and nonhyphenated words and phrases The Chicago Manual of Style says probably the most common spelling questions for writers and editors concern compound terms. Often it’s difficult to decide which form to use: spell the term as two words (in the long term, where long term is a noun); hyphenate it (long-term forecast, where long-term is an adjective); or close up the two words to make one word (no hyphen and no space, as in online and website).

Prefixes can be troublesome, The Chicago Manual of Style says. Some observations: • Compounds formed with prefixes (pre, re, non, ex, anti, bi, co, mid, semi) are normally closed, with some exceptions. • A hyphen is used with the prefixes listed above if the second part of the word begins with a capital letter: non-American, non-OPEC, sub-Saharan, pro-United States, ex-Marine. • With frequent use, open or hyphenated compounds tend to become closed (e-mail to email, on-line to online). For more information on hyphens, see The GPO Style Manual, Chapter 6: Compounding Rules and Chapter 7: Compounding Examples.

78 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 7. Hyphen guidelines A aboveground utility energy-related legislation above-target supply English-speaking nation agencywide agreed-upon standards F feedstocks air conditioning first-half 2015 air-conditioning unit first half of 2015 around-the-clock basis flat-tax shortfall freeze-offs B baseload full-power days belowground lines bidirectional G government-owned stocks breakout (not break-out) Brent-like crude H heating degree days higher-cost mines

C cap-and-trade legislation high-octane fuel coalbed (methane) high-speed line coal-exporting infrastructure high-value asset coal-fired generation homepage combined-cycle unit combined-heat-and-power facility I in depth in-depth analysis cooling degree days in-state coproducer inter-island travel copyeditor intraregional cost-of-living increase coworker K kilowatthour D database datasets L land-use restrictions day-ahead prices large scale large-scale project day-ahead schedule late-winter weather day-to-day tasks lead-free paint debottlenecking lifecycle decision makers lightbulb decommission light-year deepwater play line-item veto degree days long term drawdown of inventory long-term contract draw down stocks long-term forecast drought-stricken area low-cost housing dual-fired plant low-demand hours Lower 48 states electrically powered furnace E lower-cost coal email (not e-mail) lower-than-usual demand end use low-sulfur diesel end-use consumption end-use sector lump-sum payment energy-consuming state market-based pricing

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 79 megabytes onshore mid-1990s onsite midday mid summer part time mid-summer weather part-time employees mid-June passenger-mile midcentury per capita midcontinent per household midterm per-household consumption midweek policymaker multiple-purpose uses power plant multistage preexisting multiyear prerecession preregister nationwide presalt natural gas-fired generation pretax near term near-term contract re-export newly discovered resources regasification nonassociated reinjection nonattainment reopen noncovered sectors run-up nonenergy nonessential second half nonfederal second-half 2015 nonhighway second-largest increase nonhydrocarbon self-contained units nonhydroelectric power short term nonliquid short-term outlook non-OECD shut down shut-down mode non-OPEC shut in (e.g., the capacity is shut in) nonproducing regions shut-in capacity nonprofit corporation smaller-volume producers nonrenewable stakeholders nonsalt state-of-the-art technology nonscientific statewide nonshale oil subbituminous nonspecific subhourly nonstatistical subsalt nonutility systemwide

off-highway use third-quarter prices offline third-largest producer offshore third-party data one-on-one situation T-shaped one-stop shop t-test online U.S.-owned property

80 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide ultra-low sulfur diesel up front up-front money up-or-down vote vertically integrated utilities web page website wellhead winter-grade gasoline world-class agency worldwide year-on-year increase

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 81

Colons and Semicolons

Grammar is a piano I play by ear. All I know about grammar is its power. Many people know about camera angles now, but not so many know about sentences. The arrangement of words matters.

Joan Didion

83 The purpose of the colon is to introduce, list, or define something. A colon transforms the sentence into a word equation. It signals that what comes next is directly related to the previous sentence. The word following the colon is normally lowercase.

The purpose of the semicolon is to signal that two clauses are related, but each clause could stand on its own as a sentence if you wanted it to. The word following the semicolon is normally lowercase.

A semicolon is stronger than a comma but weaker than a period.

1. Using colons with bulleted or numbered lists • Use a colon to introduce a bulleted or numbered list if it’s introduced by a complete sentence. Never use a colon after a sentence fragment. Correct: The price consumers pay for heating oil can change for a variety of reasons: (complete sentence, so the colon is used correctly) • Seasonal demand • Fluctuations in crude oil prices • Competition in local markets

Correct: I have three pets: (complete sentence) • Cat • Dog • Bird Incorrect: My pets include: (not complete sentence) • Cat • Dog • Bird • But omit the colon if a word or phrase introduces a list. Correct: Forecasts (phrase, so no colon) Use a colon to introduce • Annual Energy Outlook • Short-Term Energy Outlook a bulleted or numbered • International Energy Outlook list if it’s introduced by a complete sentence. For more information on punctuating lists, seeChapter 15: Itemized Lists and Bullets.

2. Using colons with examples Use a colon to introduce an example or explanation of the idea to the left of the colon. The word following the colon is normally lowercase, unless it is a proper name or more than one sentence.

Example: The requirement for claiming a tax credit is clear: you must have purchased the product in 2014.

84 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 3. Using colons with quotations When you have a quotation that is at least one complete sentence, you can choose to introduce it with a colon. This option is stronger and more formal than using a comma. Example: The Administrator said: “The forecast shows rising natural gas production.”

4. Using semicolons to join independent clauses • Use a semicolon instead of a period to join two independent clauses to emphasize a close relationship between the two clauses. Do not capitalize the word after the semicolon. Example: The report is on our website; you can download it.

• Use a semicolon between two independent clauses (sentences) joined by a transition word such as therefore and however.

Example: The price of the car is high; however, it includes taxes.

5. Using semicolons in a series Use a semicolon to separate the items in a series when the items already include commas. Example: Our regional offices are in Miami, Florida; Chicago, Illinois; and Phoenix, Arizona.

6. Using a colon to introduce a list • Use a colon if the introductory phrase is a complete sentence. Example: Data are available in three reports: STEO, AEO, and IEO.

• Don’t use a colon if the introductory phrase is not a complete sentence. Example: Write sentences using commas, hyphens, and dashes. (no colon after the word using.)

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 85

Periods

The full stop is surely the simplest mark to understand— so long as everyone continues to have some idea what a sentence is.

Lynne Truss Eats, Shoots & Leaves, 2003

87 • Use periods for U.S. Correct: U.S. imports Incorrect: US imports

Correct: U.S. Energy Information Administration Incorrect: US E.I.A. Incorrect: U.S. EIA Incorrect: the U.S. EIA

• Use periods for time a.m. and p.m. Correct: 7:00 a.m. Incorrect: 7:00 am Incorrect: 7:00 AM

• Periods inside or outside parentheses. Period outside: …(phrase). If the content inside the parentheses is a phrase, the period goes outside the close paren. Period inside: (Complete sentence.) If the content inside the parentheses is a complete sentence, the period goes inside the close paren. Period outside and inside: Sentence...(Complete sentence.).

• Use a period at the end of notes and footnotes. Do not use a period at the end of sources. Correct source: the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Correct: Note: PADD means Petroleum Administration for Defense Districts.

• Use only one period at the end of a sentence, if the last word also includes a period. Write time as 7:00 a.m. Correct: The greatest gains were at Apple, Inc. and 8:30 p.m. Incorrect: The greatest gains were at Apple, Inc..

Not am/AM or pm/PM. • No periods in abbreviations. USSR (EIA prefers Former Soviet Union) MA, MS BC BA, BS HR (House of Representatives) Washington, DC PhD Dec 2012 (in tables)

• Periods at the ends of some bullets. Correct bullet punctuation: Correct bullet punctuation: • Full sentence (optional period) • Phrase (no period) • Full sentence (optional period) • Phrase (no period) • Full sentence (optional period) • Phrase (no period)

88 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide • Periods using i.e. and e.g. Preferred: namely California, Texas, and Alaska (avoid using i.e. if possible) Preferred: that is (or specifically) California, Texas, and Alaska Correct, not preferred: i.e., California, Texas, and Alaska (always use a comma with i.e.)

Preferred: for example, bridge and gin rummy (avoid using e.g. if possible) Preferred: including (or such as) bridge and gin rummy Correct, not preferred: e.g., bridge and gin rummy (always use a comma with e.g.)

• Use only one space after the period between sentences. Preferred: I like chocolate. You like vanilla. Not preferred (old fashioned): I like chocolate. You like vanilla.

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 89

Symbols

Our language is funny—a fat chance and a slim chance are the same thing.

J. Gustav White

91 & Ampersand Almost never use the ampersand sign; use it only in very informal writing. You can use & if it is part of a proper name (H&M Department Store or Oil & Gas Journal) or phrase (R&D). Correct: cap and trade Incorrect: cap & trade

Correct: imports and exports Incorrect: imports & exports [ ] Bracket sequence Avoid using nested parentheses or brackets except in mathematical equations. In text, rewrite the sentence or break it into two sentences to eliminate the need for the nested parentheses. Pairs of em dashes can also be used to set off information that might be put in parentheses. First level: […(…)…] Second level: {…[…(…)…]…} … Ellipses The most common and formal use of ellipses is to indicate an omission—to show that you’ve dropped words or sentences from a quotation. The most common reason for doing this is to focus attention on just part of what someone said or wrote. A more informal use is in email messages, where the ellipses is used to indicate a pause or break in thought. It can show a list is incomplete or the speaker has left something unsaid. Do not use this form of ellipses in formal EIA writing. Do not use ellipses to mean etc. or to indicate an unfinished sentence. An ellipses is three dots, never two dots, and never four dots.

Almost never use the To form the ellipses, type three periods in a row, and the AutoCorrect feature in ampersand sign. Microsoft Word changes three periods in a row to a single special ellipses character. If your AutoCorrect feature is disabled, you can insert the ellipses by holding down alt + An ellipses is three dots, ctrl + the period (.) key. never two dots, and never four dots. * Asterisk An asterisk is usually used as an informal footnote. In most cases for footnotes, EIA uses numbers (for text and graphs) or, in some cases, lower-case letters (in tables). It’s not pronounced asterix or asterick.

! Exclamation point Never use an exclamation point in formal EIA writing.

% Percent Always use the % sign in EIA writing. There is no space between the number and the %.

92 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide Punctuating and Formatting Quoted Text

A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.

Thomas Mann Essays of Three Decades, 1942

93 1. Using quotation marks with direct quotes • Use quotation marks to set off direct quotes. Ending periods and commas go inside the close quote. Example: The Senator said, “We must pass the legislation during this session.”

• Do not use quotation marks if the text is paraphrased or not exactly what the person said or wrote. Example: The Senator said that it is important to pass the legislation in this session.

• Periods and commas always go inside the quotation mark. Example: “Good morning, everyone,” said Secretary Moniz. Example: Secretary Moniz began his presentation by saying, “Good morning, everyone.”

• Semicolons and colons always go outside the quotation mark. Example: I always read The New Yorker’s “Talk of the Town”; it keeps me up-to-date on many issues. Example: I enjoy reading “Talk of the Town”: it’s a great current events column.

• When the question or exclamation is part of the quotation, the punctuation goes inside. Example: “But you said the rate was $6.95 per pound!” he said to the cashier.

• When the question, exclamation, or interruption applies to the whole sentence, the punctuation goes outside. Example: What did the office director mean when he asked, “When will you be finished with the report”?

2. Using a comma to set off quoted text • Use a comma to separate text from quoted material when the quoted material is a complete sentence or paragraph. Example: The president said, “All federal employees will have the Friday after Christmas off.”

• Omit the comma to separate text from quoted material when the quoted material is a phrase or fragment integrated into the sentence. Example: The director said that energy consumption in transportation had “increased significantly.”

94 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 3. Using punctuation marks with closed quotation marks • Place a period or comma inside the closing quotation marks. Example: EIA is required to report “the number and type of alternative fuel vehicles in existence.” Example: “Clean air standards are under review,” said the director.

• Place colons, semicolons, question marks, and exclamation points outside of closing quotation marks, unless a question mark or exclamation point is part of the quoted material.

Example: Which congressional staffer said, “You must complete the report by the end of the fiscal year”? Example: The director asked, “Do you have a deadline for the project?”

4. Using single quotation marks to set off quoted content within quotation marks Example: The director explained, “The HR handbook says ‘employees have two weeks of annual leave,’ not three weeks.”

5. Using ellipses in quoted text • Use ellipses—three dots or periods—to indicate the omission of text from a quoted passage. An ellipses consists of three periods (...).

Example: “The regulations specify clean air standards...and compliance Place a period or regulations.” comma inside the • Ellipses may be combined with other punctuation, such as a comma, period, closing quotation marks. or question mark. There is no space between the final ellipsis point and the punctuation. Example: Will you come...?

6. Formatting long quoted text as a block quotation Integrate short quotes into the text; but indent a block of long text. Block quotes are not enclosed by quotation marks. Remember to provide the appropriate attribution in source notes, footnotes, or endnotes.

The press spokesman explained the purpose of the new publications: Energy education is a critical part of EIA’s mission. At a time when consumers face many energy-related challenges, it is more important than ever to provide the public with reliable energy information in a format that is useful and accessible by the widest possible audience.

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 95 7. Never rephrase or add words or additional content to a quote Never add more information to a quote, even in parentheses. This restriction includes adding definitions or clarifications. Either put the new information in a footnote or in a separate sentence at the end of the quote.

8. Avoid using double quotes to emphasize words or phrases • In most cases, avoid using quotation marks around specific words. Where possible, use italics for the word or phrase you want to emphasize. Correct: The new production process is called fracking. Incorrect: The new production process is called “fracking.”

• Nicknamed “scare quotes,” the double quotes signal to the reader that this is not how the term is usually used. The intent may be to emphasize the quoted words, but the quotes may actually mislead or confuse the reader. Incorrect examples: “Free” delivery “Down” elevator “Licensed” plumber

96 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide Abbreviations and Units

If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter.

Variations attributed to Blaise Pascal, Mark Twain, Ben Franklin, Woodrow Wilson, John Locke, and others

97 1. Defining abbreviations, acronyms, and initialisms In this guide, the word abbreviation will be used generically to refer to abbreviations, acronyms, and initialisms.

Abbreviation Shortened form of a word or phrase. etc. for etcetera Dec for December Dr. for doctor

Acronym A word formed from the initial letters of other words. It’s pronounced as a word rather than read as separate letters. OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) NASA (National Aeronautic and Space Administration)

Initialism A term read as a series of letters. Initialisms can’t be pronounced as words. EIA MER FBI IRS

2. Spelling out a term the first time it is used Spell out an abbreviation or acronym when it’s first used. Follow it with the abbreviation in parentheses. If in doubt about the full name or correct spelling, check the primary source. Italicize report names but not the abbreviation (for example, STEO).

Correct: This new Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) is now available. STEO provides short-term energy forecasts. Correct: The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) projection shows the Italicize report names price of natural gas is decreasing. but not the report acronym: Short-Term If your content is presented on one long web page with links to separate sections of Energy Outlook (STEO) the content, and if that content has acronyms that you define at the top, you should spell them out again farther down the page (or deeper in the report), so people who don’t read from the top won’t have to hunt around for the definition.

This guidance also applies to long paper documents. If you haven’t used the acronyms in several pages or when you start a new chapter, you should spell out the acronyms again. If the acronym is spelled out in a section header or chart, you still need to spell it out the first time it’s used in the text. The graphs should be able to stand alone, independent of explanation in the text.

In general, avoid using too many abbreviations and acronyms. In a short document, try to avoid using them at all, especially if the term is only used once or twice. Often it’s easier to spell out the term twice. Don’t include the acronym if you aren’t going to use it again later in the text.

98 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide For more information on abbreviations, see the following sources: • EIA’s current list of energy-related abbreviations • GovSpeak: A Guide to Government Acronyms & Abbreviations • GPO Style Manual, Chapter 9: Abbreviations and Letter Symbols • The Chicago Manual of Style, Chapter 10: Abbreviations

3. Referencing EIA and DOE Always use periods in U.S. (do not write US). Correct Incorrect EIA the EIA U.S. Energy Information Administration the U.S. EIA U.S. Department of Energy U.S. DOE DOE the U.S. DOE

4. Abbreviating and spelling out United States • Spell out United States when it is used as a noun. Correct as a noun: Temperatures vary across the United States. Correct as an adjective: U.S. temperatures vary widely. Incorrect as a noun: Temperatures in the U.S. vary widely. • Use the abbreviation U.S. when it’s used as an adjective, such as when it precedes the name of a government organization or a domestic energy statistic. • Always use periods in U.S. (do not write US). Correct: Each committee reports to the U.S. Congress regarding national energy needs and resources. Correct: U.S. oil production rose in 2015.

• Spell out United States, as a noun or an adjective, when it appears in a sentence or on a graph containing the name or names of other countries. Correct: Mexican oil, United States coal, and Canadian natural gas. Incorrect: Mexican oil, U.S. coal, and Canadian natural gas.

5. Abbreviating the names of states and foreign countries • In running text, spell out the state name when it stands alone or when it follows the name of a city. Do not use postal codes (CA, MI)—except for Washington, DC where the postal code is part of the city’s name—in text or tables or graphics. It’s only OK to use state postal codes in addresses and bibliographies. Do not use postal codes Correct: Washington, DC (no periods) in text, in tables, or in Correct: The earthquake happened near San Francisco, California. graphics. Incorrect: The earthquake happened near San Francisco, CA. • In bibliographies, lists, and mailing addresses, use the U.S. Postal Service’s two- letter no-period abbreviations. In an address: Los Angeles, CA In a bibliography: Richmond, VA • Rarely abbreviate the names of foreign countries except U.K. and FSU for Former Soviet Union countries. Always spell out U.K. and FSU the first time you use it.

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 99 6. Using periods with abbreviations • Most abbreviations are written without periods, especially the ones that are pronounced letter by letter, including units of measure.

Examples: ATM gal BA, BS (bachelors’ degrees) kg (kilogram) Btu MA, MS (masters’ degree) CAFE (no accent on the E) PADD (or PAD Districts) DOE PhD

• Do not use periods or spaces with abbreviations that appear in capitals, whether two letters or more. Examples: OECD AEO OPEC ENERGY STAR® (include trademark MER symbol only for the first use) AER

• Do not use periods for the names of laws. Correct: HR 2454 Incorrect: H.R. 2454 • If an abbreviation that takes a period is used at the end of a sentence, use a single period. Correct: The project team will meet at 10:30 a.m.

7. Using a or an before abbreviations • If the abbreviation starts with a consonant sound (not a consonant letter), usea . If the abbreviation starts with a vowel sound, use an.

Examples: a TVA project (T consonant sound) an EIA forecast (E vowel sound) a RECS survey (pronounced wrecks‒begins with R consonant sound because RECS is pronounced) an RPS policy (begins with are vowel sound because each letter is pronounced)

8. Using abbreviations in lists The Latin abbreviations e.g. and i.e. do not mean the same thing. Avoid confusion by just writing for example, such as, or that is. • e.g. = for example, like, such as; provides examples for the content being discussed. • i.e. = that is, in other words; provides a descriptive or definitive statement about the statement already made.

100 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide • ex. = for example. Very informal. EIA prefers writing out for example or such as. Correct: There are many fun things you can do on the Internet (e.g., read, plan travel, play games). Correct: The three people who attended the meeting (i.e., Maya, Zoë, and Carson) agree with the plan. • Always put a comma after e.g. and i.e. • Never italicize these abbreviations. Use lowercase a.m. and p.m. with periods. 9. Using the abbreviation first In a few cases, when the acronym is widely known, you can write the acronym first and then explain it in parentheses. Use this flexibility sparingly. Correct: OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting countries) Correct: IRS (Internal Revenue Service) Correct: LED (light-emitting diode)

10. Forming plural abbreviations • Add an s to form a plural abbreviation. Examples: FAQs FTEs LDCs Exception:Btu—do not add an s to the end of Btu. Btu is both singular and plural. Also, remember abbreviations like LPG and GHG end in a plural word, so you don't need to write LPGs or GHGs.

• Add an apostrophe before the s if the abbreviation consists of lowercase letters or a single letter.

Examples: She earned all A’s on her report card. The class recited the abc’s.

11. Forming possessive abbreviations • To form a singular possessive, use an apostrophe before the s.

Examples: DOE’s policy OPEC’s members This LDC’s price hike

• To form a plural possessive, use an apostrophe after the s.

Example: The RNs’ strike The various LDCs’ price hikes

12. Abbreviating months • Names of months followed by the day, or day and year, may be abbreviated in footnotes, tables, and bibliographies where space is limited. Spell out the months in text.

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 101 • In tables, EIA uses the style where periods are omitted and all months are written as three-letter abbreviations.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

• In text or in a footnote, either spell out the full name of the month or, if you must use the abbreviation, put a period at the end.

Correct: February in Washington, DC can be brutally cold. Correct: February 12, 2016 Correct: February 2016 Correct, less preferred: Feb. 12, 2016 (use only if space is limited) Incorrect: February of 2016 Incorrect: February, 2016

13. Using abbreviations with time • Time zones. Abbreviated time zones are written without periods. Example: Release schedule: Monday between 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET • EIA prefers the abbreviation ET (Eastern Time), which is the unchanging definition of the time zone of the far eastern United States. EST (Eastern Standard Time) and EDT (Eastern Daylight Time) are correct, but each applies to roughly half of the year, as daylight saving time is in effect in most of the United States from the second Sunday in March until the first Sunday in November. • Time of day. Use lowercase a.m. and p.m. with periods. Put a space between the number and a.m. or p.m. The abbreviation for ante meridiem (before noon) is a.m. and the abbreviation for post meridiem (after noon) is p.m. If you note ET or PT, don’t use a comma after a.m. or p.m.

Correct: 10:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Incorrect: 10:00 am and 2:30 pm Incorrect: 10:00 AM and 2:30 PM Incorrect: 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

• Time in history. Write 1,000 BC (no periods).

14. Abbreviating academic degrees EIA style prefers no periods in abbreviations of academic degrees. Omit the periods unless they are required for tradition, consistency, or personal preference for your own degrees.

Correct: BA, BS, MA, MS, PhD Incorrect: B.A., B.S., M.A., M.S., Ph.D.

15. Referencing legislation The acronym for the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 is EISA2007. Adding the date to the acronym makes it clear this stands for legislation.

102 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 16. Abbreviating units of measure and common acronyms

A AC: alternating current AC/DC: alternating current/direct current a.m.: ante meridiem (not AM or am)

B b: barrel(s) Bcf: billion cubic feet The EIA abbreviation b/d: barrels per day for barrel(s) is now b, BkWh: billion kilowatthours so barrels per day is Btu: British thermal units. Not BTU or Btus written b/d. BTL: biomass to liquids Bcf/d: billion cubic feet per day Bcf/y: billion cubic feet per year BOE: barrels of oil equivalent

C CAFE: corporate average fuel economy CAIR: Clean Air Interstate Rule CHP: combined heat and power CFL: compact fluorescent lighting CNG: compressed natural gas

CO2 preferred, or CO2: carbon dioxide cents/gal or ₵/gal: cents per gallon cents/kWh: cents per kilowatthour CO2e: carbon dioxide equivalent °C: degrees Celsius CDD: cooling degree day(s) (no hyphen) cpg: cents per gallon (not preferred)

D DC: direct current $/gal: dollars per gallon DWT: deadweight tons (vessel capacity)

E EOR: enhanced oil recovery EUR: enhanced ultimate recovery

F °F: degrees Fahrenheit (75°F, no spaces) FY: fiscal year ex. FY 2015

G gal: gallon(s) GHG: greenhouse gas(es) GTL: gas to liquids GW: gigawatt GWe: gigawatt electric GWh: gigawatthour(s) (capital G and capital W)

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 103 H HDD: heating degree day(s) (no hyphen) Hg: mercury HGL: hydrocarbon gas liquids, not HGLs

K K: kelvin (temperature scale) kV: kilovolt kW: kilowatt kWh: kilowatthour(s) (lowercase k and capital W)

L LDV: light-duty vehicle, with a hyphen LED: light-emitting diode LPG: liquefied petroleum gas(es), not LPGs LLS: Light Louisiana Sweet LNG: liquefied natural gas

M Mb: thousand barrels (not preferred usage) Mb/d: thousand barrels per day (not preferred usage) Mcf: thousand cubic feet (not preferred EIA unit) MM: million (106). M is the Roman numeral for thousand, so MM equals a thousand times a thousand, which is a million. (For more information on using M, see page 105.) MMcf: million cubic feet million b/d (preferred) or MMb/d: million barrels per day million Btu (preferred) or million British thermal units MMBtu: million British thermal units million kilowatthours (not MMkWh) million MWh: million megawatthours MMBtu: million Btu MMcf/d: million cubic feet per day MMgal/d: million gallons per day MMmt: million metric tons MMst: million short tons mpg: mile(s) per gallon mst: thousand short tons (not preferred usage) mt: metric ton (not written metric tonne, which is international spelling) (not commonly used at EIA) MW: megawatt MWh: megawatthour(s)

MWAC/MWDC: megawatt AC/megawatt DC

MWe MW of electricity capacity MY: model year (used for vehicles) MY 2015

N NGPL: natural gas plant liquids NGL: natural gas liquids (not NGLs) N2O: nitrous oxide NOx: nitrogen oxides (plural) North Sea Brent (first use): subsequent use can be Brent

104 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide O OPEC: the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries

P Petroleum Administration for Defense Districts: PADD (preferred) or PAD District p.m.: post meridiem (after noon) (not PM or pm) PTC: production tax credit ppm: parts per million PV: solar photvoltaic

Q quads: quadrillion British thermal units, or quadrillion Btu (which is plural)

R rpm: revolutions per minute RFS: renewable fuel standard RPS: renewable portfolio standard RTO: regional transmission organization

S SOx: sulfur oxides st: short ton

T Tcf: trillion cubic feet tonne: international spelling of metric ton (not preferred usage) t-test: statistical test of the means of two samples (italicized t) TWh: terawatthour(s) (capital T and capital W)

U USD: U.S. dollar, when comparing with foreign currencies. Writing specific amounts: US $5 million. Don’t use the D with the $.

V V: volt VMT: vehicle miles traveled Did you know? The letter M is used W W: Watt Wh: Watthour in a lot of EIA units: MMb/d, Mcf, MWh, Notes: For metric or International System of Units (SI) not covered here, see mst. But the M’s mean standards and conventions on proper use and abbreviation of these units. All unit different things in abbreviations are assumed to be both singular and plural (MWh = megawatthours) different units. unless a plural form is provided.

17. What do all the M’s and m’s mean? The letter M is used in a lot of EIA units: MMb/d, Mcf, MWh, mst. But the M’s mean different things in different units. It’s confusing.

In some units, M is the Roman numeral for 1,000. So a thousand is M, and a million, which is a thousand thousand, is MM.

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 105 And, yes, MM in Roman numerals does equal 2,000. So sometimes the M’s are added and sometimes they are multiplied. Technical usage seems to support MM = 1 million. This use of M to mean thousand and MM to mean million is true in these cases: MMb/d = million barrels per day MMBtu = million Btu MMcf = million cubic feet MMst = million short tons On the other hand, the abbreviation for million short tons of coal is sometimes mst, with a lower-case m. To complicate the issue, various sources also use MST and Mst as abbreviations for million short tons.

In a third variation, acronyms for cubic feet for natural gas volumes other than Mcf and MMcf do not use Roman numerals or lower-case letters. The B in Bcf stands for billion, and the T in Tcf stands for trillion.

To confuse matters further, the M in MWh (megawatthour) stands for mega, not a thousand or a million, even though a megawatthour happens to be equal to a million watthours, or a thousand kilowatthours.

Sometimes mWh can mean milliwatthour. This isn’t a very common unit, but it’s yet another use of the letter M.

So be careful when you use M. Spell out your units, and make sure you have the right M and the right number of M’s.

106 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide Itemized Lists and Bullets

Synonym (n): The word you use when you can’t spell the other one.

Baltasar Gracián, 17th century author

107 Big paragraphs are difficult to read quickly. Bullets are a visual way to show a group of similar ideas. Bullets make it easier for readers to see your main points. To improve the scannability of content, use vertical lists rather than continuous text to present a series of related items.

Don’t put semicolons or commas at the end of bullets. Only use ending periods for long bullets that are complete sentences. Capitalize the first word of every bullet.

1. Introducing lists within text • Introduce the list with a statement that encompasses all of the items in the list. • Use a colon at the end of the introductory statement if it is a complete sentence. Don’t use a colon if the introduction is a phrase. Example: The price that consumers pay for heating oil can change for a variety of reasons: • Seasonal demand • Fluctuations in crude oil prices • Competition in local markets

Example: The two reasons for increased demand are • Lower prices • Higher economic growth

• To enhance the scannability of your content, you can add a line of space between introductory text and the beginning of a bulleted or numbered list. Example: Carbon dioxide is emitted when burning three fossil fuels: • Petroleum • Coal • Natural gas

Don’t put semicolons • Wrap lines of each bullet under each other, not under the bullet point itself. or commas at the Correct bullet wrap: end of bullets. • There are 99 commercial nuclear reactors at 61 nuclear power plants in Capitalize the first 31 states. Since 1990, the share of the nation’s total electricity supply provided by nuclear power generation has averaged about 20%. word of every bullet. Incorrect bullet wrap: • There are 99 commercial nuclear reactors at 61 nuclear power plants in 31 states. Since 1990, the share of the nation’s total electricity supply provided by nuclear power generation has averaged about 20%.

2. Introducing lists of links or items Provide a descriptive heading at the top of each list, and don’t use a colon.

Forecasts Recent Country Analysis Brief Updates Annual Energy Outlook China Short-Term Energy Outlook Argentina International Energy Outlook Iraq

108 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 3. Using parallel structure for each item in the list • Begin each item with the same type of word (noun, verb, infinitive, etc.). Correct (parallel beginning words): To reduce natural gas bills, customers can do three things: • Check appliances for efficient operation • Obtain an energy audit • Reduce thermostat settings

Incorrect (not parallel beginning words): How to create effective teams: • To find the best solution to our problems • Asking people to help us with the solution • Identify champions for solution teams • Strategic goals • And have regular meetings

• Use the same grammatical form for each item (word, phrase, or sentence).

Correct: The working group should meet to perform the following functions: (three verbs) • Evaluate the department’s progress • Provide suggestions for improving performance • Collaborate on systems analysis

Correct: There are four types of coal prices: (four adjectives) Begin each bulleted • Spot item with the same • Captive type of word. • Open • Delivered

• Present the same type of information, in a similar format, to make the information easier for readers to understand.

Correct: Relevant definitions include • Deepwater—water depth that is greater than 200 meters but less than 1,500 meters • Ultra-deepwater—water depth that is equal to or greater than 1,500 meters

Correct: We emitted more CO2 from petroleum than other fuels: • Petroleum—2.6 billion metric tons (44%) • Coal—2.1 billion metric tons (36%) • Natural gas—1.2 billion metric tons (20%)

Correct: Learn more • For projections of U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide emissions, see the Annual Energy Outlook. • For projections of foreign energy-related carbon dioxide emissions, see the International Energy Outlook.

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 109 4. Punctuating itemized lists • Listed items require no end punctuation unless they are complete sentences. Items that are sentences can but do not have to be followed by a period. • Do not use a comma or a semicolon at the end of each list item. • Do not use a period at the end of the last bullet. Bullets either all have optional periods (if they are complete sentences) or all have no ending punctuation (if they are phrases or words).

Correct: Because the United States is the world’s largest importer, it is easy to forget that it is • The oldest major global oil producer • Formerly the number one global oil producer • Currently the number two global oil producer (no ending period)

Correct: Several consumer trends have increased demand and offset these gains: (bullets are all complete sentences, so an ending period can—but does not have to—be used) • Homes are larger and consume more energy. • Appliances such as flat screen TVs are larger and consume more energy. • Computers and other electronic devices increase the demand for energy.

5. Using a numbered list • Use numbered lists to indicate steps, sequence, or ranking. Correct: Use these steps to sign up for email subscriptions: 1. Enter your email address 2. Check the names of the publications you’d like to receive 3. Click subscribe This is a sequence. Ending periods are correct—but optional—because each item is a complete sentence. • Use numbered lists to rank order or count the content. Correct: Five countries supply most U.S. petroleum imports (listed by rank): 1. Canada 2. Mexico 3. Saudi Arabia 4. Venezuela 5. Nigeria • Use numbered lists if you want to emphasize the number of items. Correct: This report has two purposes: 1. To provide background information on alternative transportation fuels 2. To furnish preliminary estimates of the use of these fuels and of alternative fuel vehicles

110 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 6. Using a bulleted list Use a bulleted list when the order of the items is not important and when the list is not about steps or procedures. Use a bulleted list rather than sentences in a paragraph when you want readers to clearly see the main points. Correct: Steam is produced in several ways: • From water that is boiled by burning fossil fuels, nuclear fission, or biomass materials • From geothermal resources where steam under pressure emerges from the ground and drives a turbine • From a fluid heated by the sun (solar power)

7. Ordering a bulleted list When determining the order of the listed information, consider what order is most logical from a user’s point of view. For example, lists can be ordered chronologically, step-by-step, by ranking, by most requested, by most important, or alphabetically.

Avoid alphabetical order unless the listed items are commonplace proper names, such as states, or the list serves as an index. Use bullets rather than numbers if the order of the items doesn’t matter.

Correct: Most requested Information (in order of the number of requests) • On-Highway Retail Diesel Prices • Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update • Natural Gas Storage Report Correct: The mission covers four technology developments: (in order of priority) • Extending scientific understanding • Developing new technologies • Enhancing existing technologies • Pursuing challenges Correct: Four State Energy Profiles have been updated: (alphabetical order) • Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas Correct: Four State Energy Profileshave been updated: (chronological order) • Michigan (August 2015) • California (September 2015) • Tennessee (December 2015) • Alabama (January 2016)

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 111 8. Capitalizing items in a list Capitalize the first word of each bullet, even if the listed items are not sentences. This rule is an EIA style choice. Be consistent. Correct: Three factors compel the United States to reconsider how it produces, delivers, and uses energy: • Energy security • Environmental quality • International competition

9. Presenting successive points in text—first, second, third Bulleted lists are preferred for highlighting points and improving readability. If you must write your points in paragraph form, use first, second, third. Do not use firstly, secondly, thirdly. If you have more than three points, consider listing numbered items or using bullets. Saying seventh, eighth, etc., is cumbersome.

112 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide Footnotes, Sources, and Notes

True, the writer’s name is in the byline, but it’s not the author’s right to offend or confuse the reader, defy the rules of standard English, fail to identify sources, or lower the standards of your institution.

Carol Fisher Saller The Subversive Copy Editor: Advice from Chicago

113 EIA writers must provide full source information when content from other sources is used or referenced in EIA reports.

1. Rights, permissions, copyright, and author’s responsibilities • EIA has a detailed policy on Using Third-Party Data in the Information Quality section of InsideEIA. The policy includes resources to help authors determine if information is protected by a copyright or license agreement, and, if so, how to obtain or confirm that EIA has appropriate permission to use the material.

• From The Chicago Manual of Style: “Publishing agreements place on the author the responsibility to request any permission needed for the use of material owned by others.”1 And, “With all reuse of others’ materials, it is important to identify the original as the source. This not only bolsters the claim of fair use but also helps avoid any accusation of plagiarism.”2

• Academic, journalistic, and government information generally is not subject to copyright protections. EIA authors only need to properly cite that information. But data from private vendors that EIA subscribes to and content found on the Internet are often protected by copyright and require permission for use in addition to citation in accordance with the stipulations of the data owner and the EIA Writing Style Guide.

• In a nutshell, don’t copy other people’s work, ideas, phrasing, content, images, artwork, or graphs without attribution and, in some cases, explicit permission. Just because it’s on the Internet or EIA’s website doesn’t mean it’s acceptable to portray the content as your original ideas or your original work.

• A simple Internet search of a text string can determine the original source and identify nonsourced content. Make sure to fully attribute content you use that is not original.

• Most websites have a Copyright Notice or Terms of Service link at the bottom of their home page that will clarify republication rights. Authors need to get permission to reuse content from this website. Always check the agency or company’s copyright policy. EIA has a Copyright and Reuse Policy posted on its homepage.

• For internal documents, you should identify third-party sources in case the document or any portion of it is used by others in EIA for a publication or presentation outside of the agency. References in internal materials do not need to adhere to the EIA Writing Style Guide.

1 University of Chicago Press, The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th edition, The University of Chicago Press (2010), p. 185. 2 Ibid., p. 190.

114 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide • Different EIA products have different sourcing formats including endnotes, footnotes, or full inline attribution. EIA authors are responsible for citing information appropriately and using the appropriate format for their reports.

• You must cite the source for ideas, phrasing, facts, and similar content taken from other sources. Changing a few words does not exempt you from citing the Don’t use italics or source. quotes when citing form • Citing the organization or publication name without providing information names. about the source is not sufficient. Avoid writing “...according to...” without a source. Include a link to the source or make sure you have a full source citation elsewhere in the report.

2. Using footnotes for explanation, comment, and citation Use footnotes for explanations or comments about specific information within the body of documents, tables, or graphics.

In 2006, about 7.1 billion metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) of greenhouse gases were emitted by the United States.1

1 Values expressed as carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e) are calculated based on their global warning potential.

Citing an online document: the title of the document should be a hypertext link within the footnote.

EIA projects that electricity generated from renewable sources will account for 13% of total electricity generation in 2016.1

For EIA documents: 1 U.S. Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Outlook 2012, Table 8. Citing EIA in external documents: 1 U.S. Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Outlook 2012, Table 8, accessed March 11, 2008. Citing a url: Company or publication name, “article name” (accessed June 8, 2015), full url. Citing EIA forms:Form 1, Form Name. No italics or quotes for the form name. Form 914, Monthly Natural Gas Production Report

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 115 3. Using endnotes or footnotes Endnotes have the same information as footnotes, but instead of being at the bottom of each page, they are all together in one list at the end of the report. In most cases, use endnotes for EIA documents like the Annual Energy Outlook and the Country Analysis Briefs that are mostly or entirely in html. Endnotes involve html coding on one page rather than on many pages, which is faster and easier.

Footnotes are more appropriate for technical reports (such as model documentation) and journal articles. These types of reports are predominately in PDF format.

Note that some EIA content—Today in Energy (TIE) is a good example—does not have footnotes or endnotes. Source/attribution information in the TIE stories is either a link directly to the source or in a note under the graph.

Ask the Office of Communications staff or your supervisor if you have questions about which type of sourcing to use.

4. Using ibid in footnotes and endnotes The term ibid (which in Latin means same as above, or in the same place) is sometimes used in footnotes, endnotes, and biographic references to save space. The term refers to the source mentioned in the immediately preceding reference. Ibid is a fancy form of ditto marks. If the entire reference is the same, you can use the word ibid. If any information (like a page number) is different from the previous entry, that information must be included following ibid.

Example: 1. Chicago Manual of Style, 16th Edition, p. 669. (first footnote) 2. Ibid. (content being noted is on the same page of the previous source) 3. Ibid., p. 701. (content being noted is in the same source, but on a different page)

5. Deciding what terms to define and choosing the correct format • Define terms you think a nonstatistical, nonscientific reader might not understand. Definitions can be provided six ways: –– In the text, add explanatory words either in the sentence or in parentheses –– In a note (Note: RAC means refiner acquisition cost.) –– In a footnote or endnote –– With a link to the EIA Glossary –– With a link to additional EIA material –– With a link to an outside source • Remember to link the term, phrase, or report name itself rather than saying click here. Correct: See the latest Short-Term Energy Outlook Incorrect: For the latest Short-Term Energy Outlook, click here.

116 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 6. Using the most appropriate path to definitions • Use an in-text definition when The definition is critical to the audience’s understanding The definition is short and succinct • Use a footnote or endnote when The document is likely to be printed The definition is not in the EIA glossary The definition is too long or complicated to integrate into the text • Use a link to the EIA glossary when The document is likely to be read online An understandable definition is in the EIA glossary • Use a link to an outside source when An understandable definition isn’t in the EIA glossary The concept definition is long or technical–not appropriate for a footnote. The best definition is on someone else’s site

7. Formatting footnotes correctly in text • Footnotes are numbered consecutively beginning with 1. • In short documents that don’t have chapters or sections, footnotes should be sequential throughout the document. • In longer documents that have chapters or sections, footnotes should be numbered sequentially by chapter or section. • Footnotes in an appendix should begin with 1. • Footnotes should appear at the bottom of the page where the term or fact is referenced. (Consider using endnotes as an alternative.) • Footnotes should be identified by a superscript, both within text and in the corresponding note at the bottom of the page. • All footnotes end with periods, even if they are not complete sentences. • Avoid overly long footnotes, if possible. Numbered footnote example: Renewable energy consumption increased 7% between 2005 and 2006, contributing about 9% of total U.S. electricity generation in 2006.1 Electricity producers 2 consumed 63% of total U.S. renewable energy in 2015 for producing electricity.

1 U.S. Energy Information Administration, Renewable Energy Consumption and Electricity Preliminary Statistics,2014 . 2 Electrical utilities, independent power producers, and combined heat and power plants.

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 117 8. Formatting or displaying footnotes with tables, charts, and other graphics • Footnotes should be embedded into the image file so they print out as part of the graphic. • Footnotes should appear beneath the graphic in a smaller, but readable, font size. • In data tables, letters are recommended for footnotes to avoid confusion with the numbers in the table.

Lettered footnote example:

Summary of oil prices 2014-15 2014 2015 WTI crude a ($/barrel) 92.64 93.81 gasoline b ($/gal) 3.59 3.72

a West Texas Intermediate. b Average pump price for regular gasoline.

9. Referencing graphs in text • Always reference graphs in the order they appear. Don’t discuss/reference Figure 3 before you have referenced Figure 2. • Follow the established numbering format for the specific report or document. (For example, AEO uses MT-1, MT-2; MER uses 1.1, 1.2; Today in Energy doesn’t number graphs.) • Say see graph or see graph above/below, when graphs are not numbered in short articles. Correct: see graph above Incorrect: see above graph • Say see Figure 1 (not see Figure 1 above) when graphs are numbered. • Make sure you recheck the sequential references to graphs if the text is rewritten or reordered.

10. Formatting source citations Include the following information in source citations that appear as either notes or footnotes for online EIA articles, graphs, and images. The title of the report or product should be in italics.

Correct: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Petroleum Supply Monthly, Table 3, December 2016. Correct: U.S. Energy Information Administration, using data from Bentek and Reuters. Correct: U.S. Energy Information Administration, based on Bentek data.

118 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 11. Format for sourcing online information Include these elements in the order listed here: 1. Organization or publisher (for example, U.S. Energy Information Administration, or the U.S. Census Bureau) 2. Title of publication (if applicable); title of book or journal appears in italics 3. Publication number (if applicable) 4. Reference to specific web page, table, or graphic. This reference may be a publication title, a web page title, or a title of a chart or other graphic. The title should be hyperlinked to the referenced information. For example, if the data are from a table, the link should be to the table, not to the beginning of the document or section. All sources end with a period. 5. The date of publication of the information, or the date the information was accessed

Example: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Outlook 2014, Table 1A, Total Energy Supply and Disposition Summary, accessed March 18, 2014. Example: U.S. Energy Information Administration, State Electricity Profiles, DOE/EIA-0348(01)/2 (Washington, DC, November 2014), p. 145.

12. Format for sourcing print articles and newspapers Include these elements in the order they are listed. 1. Author: last name, first name (if known) or initial 2. Title of article: title is shown in quotation marks 3. Title of publication: title of book or journal appears in italics 4. Volume or publication number (if applicable) 5. Date of publication (in parentheses) 6. Page number of specific information being cited, ending with a period. Examples: Saraf, S. “India Set To Revise Hydroelectric Policy,” Power in Asia, No. 471 (February 1, 2007), p. 8.

13. Format for sourcing printed books Include these elements in the order they are listed. 1. Author: last name, first name (if known) or initial 2. Book title: title of book appears in italics 3. Publisher 4. Date of publication (in parentheses) 5. Page number

Example: Simon, A., Energy Consumption in India, World Bank (December 2006), p. 6.

Two or more two authors example: Falter, Laurie and Stefanie Palumbo (only the first name is inverted)

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 119 14. Using notes Use notes for definitions, explanations, or comments that refer to the overall content of the document, table, or graphic, rather than for specific data.

Example with one note:

Note: Gain from processing is about 5%.

If there is more than one note, use Notes. Put the content for both together, or write it in two separate sentences. If the combined note gets too long, consider numbering the notes.

Example with two notes:

Notes: Gain from processing is about 5%. Data for 2013 are preliminary.

120 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide Hypertext Links

Say all you have to say in the fewest possible words, or your reader will be sure to skip them; and in the plainest possible words, or he will certainly misunderstand them.

John Ruskin

121 1. Using embedded and stand-alone hypertext links • Hypertext links can be embedded, or they can stand alone. • Embedded links are contained within text. Example: The Primer on Diesel Fuel Prices explains how diesel fuel is made. Example: Gasoline is refined from crude oil.

• Stand-alone links are menu links or links at the beginning or end of a section of text, such as the Learn more links added to Energy in Brief articles. Example: Forecasts Annual Energy Outlook Short-Term Energy Outlook International Energy Outlook Learn more: Petroleum Supply Monthly

• Try not to link to too many things within a block of text. Too many links makes the content difficult to read. • Hyperlink enough of the text to be clear about what the link is going to.

Good example: Diablo Canyon Unit 2 was taken offline on April 27. Less clear: Diablo Canyon Unit 2 was taken offline on April 27. Good example: The company presented the Integrated Performance Plan in response to the flooding. Less clear: The company presented the Integrated Performance Plan in response to the flooding.

• If possible, the hyperlink should not contain two phrases separated by a comma.

Correct: Nuclear outages in 2011 were unusually high. Not preferred: In 2011, nuclear outages were unusually high.

Never use click here. 2. Writing clear hypertext links Don’t underline links. • Never use click here or click here or see here as a link. Don’t write text that mentions the link itself. Just link the words, • Using click here forces sighted users to read the surrounding text to understand which will automatically the context of the word here. It also prevents visually impaired users who rely on make them blue. screen readers from fully understanding where the link is going. • Don’t underline links. When providing hyperlinks in text, just copy the link you want to lead readers to, highlight the word or phrase you want to hyperlink, right click on the highlighted word or phrase, select hyperlink, and insert the link. Once the text is hyperlinked, remove the automated underline. • Write descriptive, concise links that tell users what they will get or can accomplish when they click the link. Correct: EIA’s automated email system provides updates. Incorrect: Click here to receive updates via EIA’s automated email system. Incorrect: Receive updates via EIA’s email system on this link: http://www. eia.gov/ Correct: Sign up for email updates. Correct: Learn more about how to save energy.

122 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide • Try not to create links that wrap to a second or third line. Wrapped links can be hard for users to read and cut-and-paste.

Correct: Take advantage of lower heating fuel prices for winter 2016, and guard against future price spikes by investing in energy efficient technologies. Not preferred: Take advantage of lower heating fuel prices for winter 2016 and guard against future price spikes by investing in energy efficient technologies.

• Emphasize only the distinctive words in a list of links. Correct: Below is renewable energy information for • Homeowners • Small businesses

Incorrect: Below is renewable information for • Renewable energy information for homeowners • Renewable energy information for small businesses

• The wording of the link and the title of the destination page should be the same. If the title of the page you are linking to is not clear, consider changing the page’s title.

Correct link: See Short-Term Energy Outlook March 2016 Correct landing page: Short-Term Energy Outlook March 2016

Correct link: See Short-Term Energy Outlook March 2016 Incorrect (not matching) landing page: Spring Outlook

3. Using hypertext links to provide additional information • Use links to provide related content such as glossaries, tables, reports, and graphics.

Examples: In 2016, about 20% of the petroleum consumed in the United States is expected to be imported from foreign countries. Table 4: U.S. Energy Consumption provides usage data by state. See Short-Term Energy Outlook March 2016 for gasoline projections. The chart, U.S. Oil Imports, shows how much oil the United States imports from Mexico.

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 123 • Use links sparingly throughout a report. Putting in too many links makes the text hard to read. • When linking to a file other than a web page, indicate the file format after the link. Links should inform what kind of page will open if it’s not html, which is normally the default. Use icons including pdf, xls, and ppt as appropriate for file types. Examples: The Comparison Calculator (xls) will help you choose a fuel- efficient heating system.

• The linked words can identify EIA reports or analysis.

Examples: Learn more: EIA Weekly Retail On-Highway Diesel Prices.

4. Using fully qualified links in content that is printed • If the link is in a printed report (pdf), the link should be fully qualified (www. eia.gov/petroleum/ or http://www.eia.gov/petroleum/) so when the report is printed, the full url is available. • If the link is in a web report (html), link from real words in the text—use intuitive names or phrases for the content you are linking to. Don’t underline linked context. Examples: additional analysis or find emission data by state. • Sources in footnotes and endnotes should be fully qualified.

124 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide British versus American English

A preposition is a terrible thing to end a sentence with.

Winston Churchill

125 There are differences between British and American English in spelling, usage, and punctuation. No wonder we get confused writing travelled to London. EIA prefers American spelling and usage.

1. Spelling differences

American British amid amidst among amongst while whilst

afterward afterwards backward backwards

cooperation co-operation

downward downwards forward forwards toward towards upward upwards

canceled cancelled traveled travelled

gray grey license/license(noun/verb) licence/license (noun/verb) sulfur sulphur

analyze analyse organization organisation recognized recognised

U.K. UK

2. Usage differences

American British presently = now, currently presently = soon, in the future loan and lend are synonyms loan is a noun; lend is a verb table an idea = postpone table an idea = to present something, to bring it to the table slated = scheduled slated = severely criticized scheme = devious or secret plan scheme = program, plan (no negative (negative connotation) connotation) which and that = two different words which and that = no distinction

126 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 3. Punctuation differences • British writers put closing punctuation outside the close quotation mark. American writers put the punctuation inside.

American: She said, “Put it down.” (period inside) British: She said, “Put it down”. (period outside)

• Americans put commas in number to mark thousands. European writers use a space. American: 1,000 British: 1 000

• Americans use a comma after i.e. and e.g., but the British don’t.

American: Greenhouse gases (e.g., carbon dioxide) may contribute to global warming. British: Greenhouse gases (e.g. carbon dioxide) may contribute to global warming.

I travelled to London, where I was amongst friends on a grey, cloudy day. We walked towards the British Museum whilst analysing our holiday plans.

Can you find the British spellings?

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 127

Index

% % sign 2, 5, 6, 59, 92 academic degree, abbreviation of 102 accept vs. except 34 acronyms 6, 17, 98 active voice 10 A acts (laws), capitalization of 54 a and an 32 adding information to a quote, restrictions 96 with an abbreviation 100 additionally, not recommended 27, 34 a lot vs. allot, vs. a lot vs. many 34 adjacent numbers 60 a.m. and p.m. 102 advice for good writing 22 period use with 88 advice vs. advise 34 abbreviations (also see acronyms) affect vs. effect 34 and units 103–105 aid vs. aide 34 how to define 98 all ready vs. already 34 in a list with e.g. or i.e. 100 all right vs. alright 34 in tables and footnotes 101–102 all together vs. altogether 35 no periods in 88 all-caps, not recommended 16 of academic degrees 102 allot 34 of thousand, million, and billion 105–106 allude to vs. refer to 35 of month names 101 alot (not a word) 34 of United States 99 alphabetical order in lists 111 plural forms 101 already vs. all ready 34 possessive forms 101 also 34 units of measure list 103–105 alternate vs. alternative 35 when to spell out 98 although vs. though 35 with a and an 100 although vs. while 35, 45 with periods 100 altogether vs. all together 35 with time (a.m. and p.m.) 102 ambiguity, avoiding it with hyphenation 77 about and around 34, 65 American English vs. British English 6, 126–127 above vs. more than vs. over 41 amid (U.S.) vs. amidst (U.K.) 35 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 129 among (U.S.) vs. amongst (U.K.) 35, 126 change in value, how to represent 64 among vs. between 36, 126 charts, parallel references to 25 ampersand 92 chronological order in lists 110, 111 any more vs. anymore 35 citation of sources 114–120 anyone vs. any one 35 cite vs. sight vs. site 43 around and about 34, 65 civil and military titles, hyphen use with 78 as well as (when to use) 27 clauses linked with semicolon 85 assure vs. ensure vs. insure 38 CO2 65, 103 asterisk 92 colon attribution of third-party sources 114 and semicolon 84–85 audience awareness (EIA customers) 4–5, 15 introducing a list 84–85, 108 audience, tailoring content to them 15 no capitalization after colon or semicolon 84 author’s responsibilities for sourcing 114 with an example 84 with quotation 85, 95 comma 68–71 after e.g. and i.e. 70, 101 B between independent clauses 70 backward (U.S.) vs. backwards (U.K.) 35, 126 in dates 70 barrel, abbreviated as b 103 in lists 68 because 26 in large numbers 71 because of vs. due to 36, 38 in numbers with four or more digits 63 because vs. since 35 serial or oxford comma 68 besides, in addition 34 when restating a numerical change 71 between vs. among 36 with e.g. and i.e. 70, 100 biannual vs. biennial vs. semiannual 36 with however 71 big vs. large 36 with introductory words, phrases, clauses 68 billion, abbreviated as B 106 with which or that 69 block text for long quotes 95 with quotation 95 bold 24 commonly misused words 34–45 for emphasis 6, 16, 54 company names, capitalization of 55 bracket sequence, for mathematical equations 92 ExxonMobil 55 breakout vs. break-out 36 Nymex 55 British English vs. American English 6, 126–127 complement vs. compliment 37 bulleted lists 7, 108, 111 compose and comprise 7, 37 capitalization in 51 compound subject, how to write it 31 colon use with 84 compound words with hyphen 74, 78–81 how to punctuate 6 comprise vs. compose 7, 37 introducing the list 108 conjunctions, comma use with 70 numbered vs. unnumbered list 110–111 consistency 3, 4, 15 ordering the bullets 111 in bulleted lists 109 parallel structure 109 in point of view 15 period at end of 88 in verb tenses 14 spacing with 108 continental U.S. vs. contiguous U.S. 37 continuously vs. continually 37 contractions, use of in EIA writing 15 copyright 114–115 C currency, numbers with 61 canceled (U.S.) vs. cancelled (U.K.) 36 capitalization 6, 48–55 and punctuating bulleted or numbered lists 51 for emphasis, not recommended 54 D for governmental references 53 dash — hyphen, en dash, em dash 74 for Internet-related words 55 data vs. datum 37 for job titles 54 dates 6, 62 for report titles and headings 52–53 as numerals 62 in abbreviations, period use with 100 comma use with 70 in lists, capitalize first word of each bullet 112 DC (Washington, DC), how to write it 6 list of examples 48–51 decades, how to write 62 when not to 16 decimals 63 carrot vs. carat vs. caret vs. karat 37 at end of sentence 59 cents, writing about prices 61 defining terms in text 116–117 centuries, how to represent 62 colon use with 84 (U.S.) Department of Energy, how to write the name 99 130 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide descriptive vs. prescriptive dictionary 28 flammable (recommended) vs. inflammable 39 dictionaries 28 font choice with numbers and equations 66 different from vs. different than 38 footnotes 23, 115, 116, 117 direct quotations, formatting 94 asterisk use with 92 document titles, using italics 16–17 copyright rules 114 DOE, how to write the name 99 footnotes vs. endnotes 116 dollar amounts 61 footnotes, how to format 117 in foreign currency 61 in tables and graphics 118 dollar sign 61 period use with 88 due to 6, 25, 38 rights and permissions 114 due to vs. because of 36, 38 using ibid 116 for example, with i.e. and e.g. 7 forecast vs. expected vs. projected 39, 42 foreign country names, abbreviations of 99 E foreign currency, how to write it 61 e.g. 7, 100 foreign language words and phrases 17 comma use with 70 formal writing 15 periods with 89 formatting paragraphs 17 editorial voice and words and phrases to avoid 10–13 forth vs. fourth 39 effect vs. affect 34 forward (U.S.) vs. forwards (U.K.), vs. foreword 39 effect vs. impact 40 fourth vs. quarter 42 EIA, how to write it 6, 99 fractions 59 EIA organization names and titles, capitalization of 54 hyphenation with 77 either…or; neither…nor 30 write out or numerals 59 ellipses 92, 95 further vs. farther 39 em dash 7, 74–75 furthermore, not recommended 27 email vs. e-mail 6, 38 embedded hypertext links 122 capitalization of 55 embedded (nested) parentheses 92 G emphasis good writing advice 22 preferred techniques 16 government programs, capitalization of 54 with bold and italics 6 governmental references, capitalization of 53 with em dash 74 grammar 30–45 with quote marks, not recommended 96 grammatical consistency in lists 109 en dash 7, 74–75 graphics, footnotes in 118 ending a sentence with a preposition 26 graphs, how to reference in text 118 endnotes 23, 115–116 gray (U.S.) vs. grey (U.K.) 126 end-use vs. end use 76 (U.S.) Energy Information Administration Office of Communications 3 (U.S.) Energy Information Administration, H how to write the name 6, 99 half vs. one half vs. a half vs. half of vs. half a 39 ensure vs. insure vs. assure 38 hard and fast rules? 3 equation editor 66 he and I 30 everyday vs. every day 38 headings everyone vs. every one 38 capitalization 52 examples, colon use with 84 for lists 108 except vs. accept 34 headline writing 27 exclamation point, not recommended 92 him and me vs. he and I 45 with quotation 95 historic vs. historical 39 expected vs. forecast vs. projected 39, 42 homepage, written as one word 6 hone vs. home in 39 however, comma use with 71 hypertext links 122–124 F capitalization of 55 farther vs. further 39 embedded and stand-alone links 122 federal, when not to capitalize 6, 53 fully qualified links 124 feedback on the EIA Writing Style Guide 2–3 hyphen 74–81 fewer vs. less 31, 39, 64, 65 en dash 74 first person 15 em dash 74 first, second, third 25 list of hyphenated and nonhyphenated firstly, not recommended 25, 112 words 79–81 firstly, secondly, thirdly 25 typing 75 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 131 hyphen (continued) later vs. latter 40 used to avoid mispronunciation and lead vs. led 40 ambiguity 77 legislation, abbreviation with 102 with compound words 7, 75–76 less than 64 with numbers 77 less vs. fewer 31, 39, 64, 65 lists abbreviations in 100 alphabetical 111 I bulleted 111 I vs. me 30 capitalization in 112 i.e. 7, 100 chronological 111 comma use with 70 colon use with 84 periods with 89 commas in text lists 68 Ibid in footnotes and endnotes 116 heading style 108 impact as a verb, not recommended 6, 40 how to introduce 108 impact vs. affect 40 parallel structure 109 impact vs. effect 40 punctuation of 110 in addition 27, 34 rank order 110, 111 incentivize, not recommended 27 time order 110, 111 increase–decrease, words to use 20 use of parallel style in 25 indenting first line of paragraph 17 within text 108 independent clauses loose vs. lose 40 linked by conjunction, comma use with 70 lower vs. under 31 semicolon use with 85 infinitives, ok to split 25 inflammable (not recommended) vs. flammable 39 informal writing 15 M initialisms, definition 98 m as an abbreviation 105–106 inline text references for sourcing 23 majority of vs. most of 41 insure vs. ensure vs. assure 38 many 34 Internet vs. intranet 40 mathematical equations 65–66 Internet-related words, capitalization of 55 maybe vs. may be 41 interruptions, with quotation marks 94 me vs I 30 introducing a list 108 Microsoft Word introductory word, phrase, or clause, equation editor 66 comma use in 68 spell check for copyediting 23 inverted pyramid format 10 military and civil titles, hyphen use with 78 irregardless (not a word) 42 million abbreviated as MM 105–106 italics 6 minus sign 60, 78 for emphasis 6, 16 mispronounced words, avoiding with hyphens 77 for report titles 16 misused words list 34–44 restriction on use with e.g. or i.e. 101 months, abbreviations of 101–102 itemized lists and bullets 108–112 more than vs. over. vs. above 32, 41, 64, 65 its vs. it’s 40 most of vs. majority of 40 myself 30 he and I 30 J and me vs. and I 30 jargon 4, 11–13 N name and title, comma use with 69 K nation, don’t capitalize 6 karat vs. carrot vs. carat vs. caret 37 negative numbers 60 neither…nor 30 nested parentheses 92 neutral writing 6, 20 L new content in 2015 Writing Style Guide 2 large numbers newspapers, sourcing guidelines 119 comma use with 71 none is vs. none are 30, 41 how to write them 61 non-English words, how to write them 17 large vs. big 36 nonhyphenated words 78–81 last 10 years vs. past 10 years 6, 40 nonoriginal content, attribution of 23, 114 last vs. past 40 nonparallel style 25, 109

132 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide notation, scientific, how to express 65 passive voice 10 notes past 10 years vs. last 10 years 6, 40 and footnotes, period use with 88 past vs. last 40 in tables and other graphics 120 percent vs. % sign 2, 6, 24, 59, 92 in text 23 percentage change 64 nouns, when to repeat 27 periods 88–89 numbered lists, 110 at end of bulleted list 88 alignment of text 108 in abbreviations 88, 100 capitalization in 51, 112 in U.S. 88 colon use to introduce 84 with a.m. and p.m. 88 numbers 58–66 with capitalized abbreviation 100 adjacent references 60 with e.g. 7, 89 at beginning of sentences 6, 58 with i.e. 7, 89 changes in values, writing about 64 with parentheses 88 for dates and years 62 with quotation 95 hyphen use with 77 permission to use copyrighted material 114 in a range, 2%–4% 60 person: first, second, and third 15 mathematical equations 65–66 personal vs. personnel 42 negative 60 phone numbers, format of 63 percent sign 59 phrases to avoid 11–13, 20 range of, with en dash 74 plain language 5 singular or plural verb with 64 plural of an abbreviation 101 whether to spell or use numerals 58 p.m. and a.m. 102 with currency 61 point of view, making it consistent 15 with four or more digits, commas in 63 policy neutrality 6, 20 numerals possessives, 26, 31 for fractions 59 of abbreviations 101 in dates and years 62 postal codes 6, 99 in time 62 precede vs. proceed 42 vs. writing out numbers 58 preferred vs. nonpreferred expressions for with units of measure 60 numbers 65 numerical change, comma use with 71 prefixes, hyphen use with 78–81 numerous, not recommended 27 prepositions 26 ending a sentence with 26 prescriptive vs. descriptive dictionary 28 previous vs. prior 42 O prices, how to write 61 Office of Communications, Style Guide contact 3 principal vs. principle 42 omissions with ellipses 92, 95 print articles, sourcing guidelines 119 on vs. upon 43 print vs. web, application of writing styles 3 online (EIA style) vs. on line vs. on-line 2, 5, 41 printed books, sourcing guidelines 119 online information, sourcing guidelines 119 prior vs. previous 41 oral vs. verbal 41, 44 proceed vs. precede 42 ordering bulleted lists 111 product names, how to write them 16 ordinal numbers (first, second, third, etc.) 25, 58, 112 projected vs. forecast vs. expected 39, 42 over and under 65 pronouns 30 over vs. more than vs. above 32, 41, 65 proofreading techniques 23–24 overtime vs. over time 41 proved vs. proven (resources and reserves) 42 oxford comma 6, 68 providing feedback on the EIA Writing Style Guide 2015 2, 3 punctuation 4 colons and semicolons 83 P commas 67 p.m. and a.m. 102 for quote within a quote 95 period use with 88 hyphens and dashes 73 palette vs. palate vs. pallet 41 inside or outside quotes 7, 94 paragraph format 17 of lists 110 parallel structure periods 87 in lists 7, 14, 109 in text 25 paraphrased text, don’t use quote marks with 94 parentheses 92 Q parenthetical information 69 quarter vs. fourth 42 period use with 88

U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide 133 quotations 94 since vs. because 35 adding information to (never do this) 96 single quote marks for quote within a quote 95 as block of text 95 site vs. cite vs. sight 43 marks for emphasis, not recommended 17, 96 sources, citation of 114–116, 118–119 colon use with 85, 95 sourcing nonoriginal content 23, 114 ellipses in 92, 95 spaces exclamation point with 95 between sentences, single space for emphasis, not recommended 96 recommended 24, 89 formatting long quotes 95 with hyphen 74 punctuating 94–95 with en and em dashes 74 question mark with 95 spacing in bulleted and numbered lists 108 semicolon use with 95 spell check in Microsoft Word 23–24 with an interruption 94 split infinitives 25 with direct quotation 95 stacked adjectives, not recommended 24 within a quote 95 stand-alone hypertext links 122 state, when not to capitalize 6, 50, 53 state names, using abbreviations of 99 state postal codes, don’t use except in R addresses 99 range of numbers 60 stationary vs. stationery 43 with en dash 74 subject–verb agreement 32 ranking order in lists 110–111 subscripts in scientific notation 65 references to charts 25 superscripts regardless vs. irregardless 42 in dates 62 repetition, how to avoid it 22 in ordinal numbers 58 report title in scientific notation 65 capitalization of 52 supplemental information, commas with 69 using italics 17 symbols 91–92 restating numerical change, comma use with 71 run-on sentence, definition 24 T tables 118 S abbreviating months in 101–102 scare quotes 96 footnotes in 118 scientific notation, how to write it 65 tailoring your writing to the audience 15 seams vs. seems 42 temperature, writing °F, 103 second person 15 th, as in 7th, how to write 58 secondly, not recommended 112 than vs. then 43 semiannual vs. biannual vs. biennial 36 that 27 semicolon and colon 84–85 that vs. who 7 in a series 85 that or this 26 no capitalization after semicolon or colon 84 vs. which 7, 30, 43, 44, 69 restriction in lists 108 vs. who 31 used to join independent clauses 85 their vs. there vs. they’re 43 with quotation 95 thesis writing format, not recommended 22 sentence case vs. title case 52 third person 15 sentences third-party data sources 114 ending in a decimal number 59 this is because, don’t use 26 in bulleted items, period use with 88 this is the result of, don’t use 26 run-on 24 that, beginning a sentence 26 short sentences preferred 4, 22 thorough vs. through vs. threw vs. though 43 spacing after period (one space) 24, 89 though vs. although 35 sequence of brackets 92 thousand abbreviated as a Roman numeral M sequential order in lists 110 105–106 serial comma 4, 6, 68 threw vs. thorough vs. through vs. though 43 series, semicolon use with 85 time of day 6, 62 shift in verb tenses, when it’s OK 14 title and name, comma use with 69 shift in point of view 15 title case capitalization 6, 52–53 short paragraphs, 4, 22, 24 title case or sentence case, definitions 52 sight vs. cite vs. site 43 too, comma use with 71 significant digits in decimals 63 toward (U.S.) vs. towards (U.K.) 44, 126 simple words are better 6, 11–13 traveled (U.S.) vs. travelled (U.K.) 44, 126 since, used with time 6, 35 treaties, capitalization of 54 134 U.S. Energy Information Administration | EIA Writing Style Guide U Y U.S. years, written as numerals 62 how to write the country name 6, 99 you and me vs. you and I 30 noun vs. adjective, when to spell out 6, 99 your vs. you’re 44 period use with 88 U.S. DOE, how to write the name 99 U.S. Energy Information Administration, how to write it 6 unclear pronoun reference 26 under and over 65 under vs. lower 31 underlining, not recommended 6, 16, 24 United States, spelled out 6, 99 unit list 103–105 units of measure how to abbreviate 103–105 using numerals with 60 upon vs. on 44 upward (U.S.) vs. upwards (U.K.) 44, 126 use vs. usage 13, 65 utilize, not recommended 13, 27 V value, writing a change in 64 variable vs. volatile 44 variables in equations 65 varying word choice, when not to do it 22 verb tenses, consistency with 14 verbal vs. oral 41, 44 verbs with numbers, singular or plural 64 verb–subject agreement 32 voice 10 volatile vs. variable 44 W Washington, DC, how to write it 6 web links 122–124 don’t underline, just use blue 122 don’t use click here 6, 122 embedded vs. stand alone 122 fully qualified links 124 how to write them 122 web vs. print Style Guide application 3 web vs. the web 44 website (EIA style) vs. web site 6, 44 which vs. that 7, 30, 43, 45 comma use with 69 while vs. although 34, 45 while (U.S.) vs. whilst (U.K.) 45, 126 who uses EIA data? 4–5 who vs. that 7, 31 why a writing style guide? 2 word choice, when not to vary it 22 words to avoid 11–13 write-around 28 writing guidance 22 writing out numbers vs. numerals 58

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